


Don't Let Go

by RavennaNevermore



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Everyone Is Alive, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, more tags to be added later, well almost everyone is alive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:07:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 44,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23716420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavennaNevermore/pseuds/RavennaNevermore
Summary: Jaina Proudmoore is a lost soul. At least that's how she felt. By moving overseas from her home in rural Georgia to the big city of London, she hopes that she can escape the life that she once had. After being abandoned by her once loving family, she was left broken and alone. Jaina has built the tallest of walls around her heart and she's determined that nothing will ever break through those walls again. Nothing will ever cause her pain ever again.Right?
Relationships: Jaina Proudmoore/Sylvanas Windrunner
Comments: 203
Kudos: 492





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is gonna be a long one. May my motivation remain strong!

Jaina pulled her coat tightly around her as she exited her apartment building. It was still early, but the walk to work was a long one. Frost still coated the grass outside and she shivered as the first of many gusts of wind cut through her jacket. London wasn’t cold necessarily, but compared to where she grew up it felt fucking cold. Jaina feared she would never grow used to it despite her three mile walk to and from work that she’s trekked for nearly three months now.

Being able to take a cab or the bus would be absolutely fantastic, however, Jaina was determined to save every cent she made anywhere she could. She was barely treading water as it was and the extra cost she was saving by simply walking was worth it in her mind. 

Her shock of white hair blew wildly underneath her hood as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. With her head down, she made the walk as quickly as she possibly could, knowing she would at least find warmth once she got to work.

_ The Spire  _ came into view an hour later. Jaina practically broke into a jog to get inside. She certainly needed the feeling back in her fingertips before she started her shift. 

The Spire was a bar in a decent part of town owned by an elf named Lor’themar. They served breakfast beginning at 10am and stayed open until well into the middle of the night where they saw a fairly decent variety of patrons. The perfect opportunity for Jaina to catch long shifts when she could. Jaina had shown up at the bar one evening, practically begging Lor’themar for a job. She’d grown desperate after several weeks of no real job opportunities and she was pretty sure despite his outwardly haughty attitude, Lor’themar felt sorry for her. So here she was, three months later, working every shift she could possibly pick up as a waitress. 

“You’re early, Jaina,” Lor’themar commented as she made her way through the side door. He was already pacing around the kitchen making sure everything was in order for the morning shift. It seemed she was the first one here after him which was a very normal occurrence these days. 

“Aren’t I always?” Jaina laughed a little as she rubbed her hands together in an effort to get warm. She’d already thrown her jacket on one of the many hooks by the door and threw on her usual apron over her red  _ Spire  _ t-shirt and black jeans. Her hair was tied back neatly by now and she immediately got to work, turning on lights and making sure the dining room and bar were in order.

“Yes, yes you are,” he remarked with a shake of his head. 

Other employees started trickling in as it got closer to opening the doors. Jaina said good morning to them all as normal, not really making much of an attempt to strike further conversation. Everyone had more or less learned over the weeks that Jaina was a woman of few words and mostly let her be. Really, it was more than fine by her. Jaina simply didn’t have the time or want for friends or relationships. She was too busy trying to stay afloat these days.

The morning flew by as Jaina served patrons, many of them regulars and typically quite kind to her. She was lucky enough to pick up a double shift today and as the afternoon turned to evening she was really starting to feel it. She was just finishing up with a few of her tables when she heard Lor’themar call her over from the bar.

“Jaina! I think it’s time for you to take a break,” he beckoned her over with a kind smile. “Also there’s someone I’d like you to meet!” 

Jaina’s relief at sitting down for a while immediately turned to hesitation. Any time Lor’themar could catch her taking a break he’d tried to play matchmaker and make some attempt at introducing her to some of his more familiar regulars.  _ You need friends, Jaina!  _ He’d always exclaim.  _ Live a little! Spend some time outside of work once in a while! _ It always ended in Jaina politely excusing herself and making sure she kept any potential ‘friends’ at arm’s length. She had no reason to believe this would be any different.

As Jaina approached, she did see an elven woman sitting, no lounging would be a better word for it, at the end of the bar. Jaina couldn’t help but stare a little as she took the woman in. Her waist-length blonde hair shone brightly even in the dim light of the bar. Her grey eyes were striking and seemed to practically see straight through her. Jaina found herself having to look away. 

“Ah, so this is your ‘star employee’ you keep raving to me about,” the woman smiled. Jaina felt the words should have held a bit of bite to them, considering her past experiences with Lor’themar’s ‘friends’ but Jaina couldn’t help but perk up a little at the sound of her voice. Her tone was cool, casual. There was no haughty undertone to them and Jaina actually found herself put slightly more at ease. Only slightly.

“Jaina, meet one of my best and oldest friends, Sylvanas,” he announced, gesturing back to the woman with a dramatic flourish from behind the bar. 

“Sylvanas Windrunner,” she added, holding a hand out for Jaina to take. Jaina cleared her throat as she reached forward to grasp the elf’s outstretched hand, immediately noting her strong grip. Which she, of course, matched. 

“Jaina Proudmoore,” she responded politely. Sylvanas raised an eyebrow at Jaina’s returned grip and her polite smile seemed to turn up into a smirk. Satisfied that she’d made an acceptable first impression, Jaina took a seat at the bar. She almost wanted to groan at the relief she felt in her aching feet and back but luckily she was able to at least retain her dignity.

“Sylvanas is normally a regular here,” Lor’themar continued, seemingly oblivious to the exchange. “You’ll be seeing a lot of her now since she’s back from that dreadfully long business trip. Right, Sylvanas?”

“Sure,” she shrugged nonchalantly. “Though I have to say, after a month in Spain, this place is looking a little dull.” It was said teasingly but Lor’themar huffed indignantly anyway. Mischief practically danced in Sylvanas’ eyes as she succeeded in getting a rise out of him. That gaze soon fell on Jaina once again.

“So, Lor tells me you’re new in town. What brings you to rainy London?” Her tone was light with only mild curiosity. Small talk. Though small talk as it was, Jaina felt immediately uncomfortable at the question. 

“Oh, you know. Just needed a change. You know how that goes,” she answered back with a shrug. If Sylvanas noticed her discomfort masked by feigned indifference, she didn’t bring it up.

“Yeah. I know how that goes,” she chuckled, taking a sip from her glass. Water by the looks of it. “Though I have to say, you’re far too pretty to be working for  _ Lor  _ of all people,” she winked. 

Jaina blinked owlishly back at the woman before she could reign in her composure. She normally didn’t appreciate flirting, but this felt more like a challenge as she watched Sylvanas practically size her up, waiting for her response.

“And you seem far too sharp of wit to keep his company,” Jaina shot back. She heard Lor’themar practically choke from a few feet away as he overheard their banter while he helped a patron. Impossibly, Sylvanas’ smirk only became more prominent. A single laugh left her lips at the comment. 

“I like you, Jaina Proudmoore,” she stated, holding up her glass as if to declare a toast in Jaina’s honor. Somehow, Jaina figured that sort of praise was rare for Sylvanas to give. In all honesty, she felt a little proud of herself for some reason. “I hope that old fool keeps you around. Though I shouldn’t keep you from your work much longer.”

“Yes, Jaina, I think it’s time you got back to it,” Lor’themar remarked, finally making his way back toward the two women. Jaina could tell he was quite close to literally shooing her away. It was a little more than amusing.

“Sure, Lor,” Jaina couldn’t help but laugh a little as she hopped off the bar stool. “It was nice meeting you, Sylavanas.” And at that she turned away, eager to get the last leg of her shift over with as the sting returned to her feet as quickly as it had gone. She heard Lor’themar say something else to Sylvanas in a hushed tone as she walked off. Though she couldn’t make out the words, whatever it was had Sylvanas laughing loudly from her end of the bar. Jaina couldn’t help but grin to herself as she walked over to a table, ready to get more orders fulfilled.

The rest of Jaina’s shift went by mostly without a hitch. That ‘mostly’ due to the fact that the current patron she was serving was getting on her actual last nerve. He was at a table on his own, apparently here for a few drinks and a late bite to eat before they closed for the evening. Jaina had had her fair share of patrons overstepping their boundaries, but this guy was on a fast track to finding his drink somehow finding its way spilled onto his lap, or better yet, thrown in his face. She could only ignore so many disgusting comments and catcalls. 

She couldn’t do that though. She wanted to keep her job, after all. 

“Is there anything else I can get for you?” Jaina asked through nearly clenched teeth as she refilled yet another drink for him. She hated how his gaze seemed to roam her body any time she was within ten feet of him. She wanted nothing more than for him to just be done and go home.

“Oh, I can think of a few things,” the human man slurred, reaching for her hand. He had to be at least double her age and Jaina almost wanted to growl. She snatched her hand away before he had a chance to really get a grip. “But another plate of wings will do,” he amended, taking the hint for the time being. Though, Jaina knew they wouldn’t last long.

Jaina didn’t bother responding as she turned to put his order in at the kitchen. She rolled her eyes as she walked away and spotted Sylvanas still hanging out in the same spot, chatting with Lor’themar whenever he had a free moment. Though at the moment, her gaze stayed fixed on Jaina, her expression unreadable. She had her chin propped up in one hand as she watched silently from her corner, simply observing the goings-on of the room around her. She was still nursing her same glass of water.

Jaina simply ignored her this time around. They’d exchanged a few friendly glances throughout the evening but Jaina’s mood had soured by now. She just wanted to go home.

She dreaded bringing the man’s order back to his table, but inevitably the plate was called and she had to take it to him. With her jaw already clenched tightly, she walked the plate of wings over to his table. His latest drink was mostly gone but Jaina honestly wasn’t going to bother offering to refill it.  _ Fuck this tip. _

“Your wings, sir,” she said as politely as possible as she set the tray down in front of him. She turned quickly without another word, however, her blood ran cold as she felt a hand touch her ass.  _ Oh, fuck no.  _ Jaina turned, an icy fury already bubbling its way up to her throat. However, before she could say anything that would inevitably result in the loss of her job, her vision was cut off by a slender elven woman pushing her way in between them.  _ Sylvanas? _

There was no time for Jaina to even process what was happening before she saw Sylvanas hoist the man out of his chair by the front of his shirt despite her being practically half his size.

“I’m sorry,” she heard Sylvanas say in a more menacing voice than she could possibly imagine coming out of any elf. Or any person, really. “My eyes must have been playing tricks on me. I couldn’t possibly have seen you touch this woman in an inappropriate manner. Could I?”

Had Jaina not been so filled with rage, she probably would have considered laughing at how absolutely fucking terrified this guy looked. But all she could do was stare at the scene in front of her. Luckily, the night was winding down and there were only a few patrons left to watch the scene unfold. 

“I asked you a question, fucker,” Sylvanas seethed. Every syllable was sharp and the threat with each cut of her words seemed to somewhat bring the creep to his senses.

“Oh, uh, n-no, miss. My mistake,” he stuttered. Sweat practically beaded onto his face now as he stood there, trembling under Sylvanas’ menacing gaze. 

“That’s what I thought,” she said coolly, shoving him roughly backwards. “A mistake you will not be making again, I imagine. Though I have to say. If I see you in this establishment again I might have to leave you with quite a bit more than words. Am I quite clear?” The question was rhetorical. Anyone watching the scene could see that. Jaina was almost convinced Sylvanas would actually be willing to kill the guy without so much as a blink. Almost. “Now leave the nice lady a generous tip and I might consider letting you leave with all your bones intact.”

The man nodded and quickly threw down several large bills, leaving the bar and Sylvanas behind him as quickly as possible with his tail tucked between his legs. Sylvanas watched him leave and soon turned her gaze to Jaina. All that calm, stormy rage seemed to disappear as soon as she laid eyes on Jaina. Now they only held concern.

“Are you all right?” she asked. Jaina should have found it a bit more frightening how Sylvanas’ voice could change from literal daggers poised to kill, to something more soft and gentle at the drop of a hat. But in reality her voice seemed to thaw Jaina from where she stood, frozen, taking in what had just happened right in front of her. 

“I-I yeah, I-You didn’t have to do that,” Jaina managed to say, finally taking a deep breath. “Thank you.” Jaina’s gaze dropped to the floor. She was suddenly just so, so tired.

“I know,” Sylvanas’ easy smile returned as she realized Jaina was indeed just fine. She dipped her head a bit to meet her eyes. “It just wasn’t fair of that creepy shit to take advantage like that while you were working. I knew you could have kicked his ass,” she winked. “Hell, I thought you were about to for a second there.”

“You have no idea,” Jaina laughed. “I’m usually pretty quick to shut down patrons like that. But this guy was on a whole other level. I almost thought I’d be having to find another job after tonight,” she said, only half-jokingly. 

“Nah,” Sylvanas said easily. “I’d kick Lor’s ass too before he let you go for defending yourself. Trust me. I’d win.” That got a real, genuine laugh out of Jaina. God, she couldn’t remember how long it had been since she’d laughed so much and meant it.

“I don’t doubt that,” Jaina smiled, shaking her head a bit.

“She’s right, you know,” Lor’themar piped up as he made his way across the now mostly empty dining room. “She could kick my ass. And I’d say it’s time for you to head home, Jaina. I’ll finish up here. You’ve worked yourself practically to death today.”

“But--” 

“No. No buts. I got to see the tail end of whatever it was that happened over here and I’d say you’ve had enough for today. Go home. Rest,” he insisted. “I know you’ve got a long walk home.”

Sylvanas’ ears seemed to jump straight up at his words. Her amused expression dropped immediately.

“Walk? Do you want me to give you a ride? It’s almost two in the morning.” 

“No, that’s okay,” Jaina answered immediately. “It’s not so bad.” 

“Don’t bother, Sylv,” Lor’themar sighed, waving Jaina off as he turned to start cleaning up. “I’ve tried. A lot.”

Sylvanas turned back to stare at Jaina. Her expression was unreadable but Jaina could see her ears twitch every few seconds as if indicating how fast her mind was racing. 

“Fine.” Jaina let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding as Sylvanas conceded. “But at least take my number and text me to let me know you made it home safe?” Sylvanas had phrased it in the form of a request, but something about her tone made it quite clear to Jaina this was definitely not a request. And for some reason Jaina found herself not really wanting to decline.

“Sure,” she breathed. “I can handle that.”

Jaina handed her her phone, a cheap preloaded smartphone she kept on her for emergencies. She unlocked it without a thought but found herself chewing her lip worriedly as she saw Sylvanas squint a bit before adding herself to Jaina’s contacts. No doubt, noticing how empty her contact list was. She made no further comment though much to Jaina’s relief. 

Good-byes were exchanged, and soon Jaina was on her way home, once again shielding herself from the wintry chill as she walked the now familiar London streets back to her apartment.

Truth be told, despite the fact that her back ached and her feet felt like they weighed a hundred pounds each, she didn’t mind the walk tonight. She felt like she needed the time to decompress after today’s events. She’d made an...acquaintance? She was hardly willing to call Sylvanas a friend. Despite being so easy to talk to, Jaina wasn’t quite willing to let those walls move even an inch. She didn’t need this right now. Solitude was suiting her just fine. She was fine. Everything was fine. 

Jaina found herself repeating those words like a mantra to herself, right up to the moment she stepped foot into her apartment building. She hadn’t even realized how numb her fingers had gotten until they burned from the sudden heat inside. She fumbled with her phone as she climbed the stairs up to the second floor. She hadn’t forgotten to let Sylvanas know she got home safe, lest she contact the police or something. Jaina wasn’t sure how far-fetched that thought may be. 

_ ‘Made it home safe. Thank you again for tonight.’ _

Jaina didn’t bother waiting for a reply as she entered her apartment. She didn’t even bother trying to find something to eat as she made her way into her bedroom. Not that there was much available to make much of anything anyhow. Her bed was calling and after today, she was almost sure she’d have no problem sleeping tonight. She hoped so anyway. Her phone was left, long forgotten now, in her jacket pocket. She barely got her work clothes pulled off before crawling under her blankets. She’d worry about washing off the smell of alcohol and greasy food in the morning. She didn’t much feel like taking in her empty apartment tonight anyway. 

_ I’m fine. Everything is fine. _


	2. Chapter 2

Jaina found herself violently jolting awake the following day with her heart practically trying to jump out of her throat.  _ Hoofbeats. Screaming. The feeling of part of her very soul breaking and dying.  _ Vivid images of her nightmare still flashed behind her eyelids as Jaina tried to shove the panic back down. 

“Godsdammit!” The curse broke through as her stomach heaved, trying and failing to expel the non-existent contents of her stomach. She sat up only to hunch over with her head between her knees, hoping the nausea and heaviness in her lungs would subside. She knew it would. It always did. But it didn’t make the experience any less miserable. 

It was several minutes of deep breathing before Jaina could finally think clearly again. The nausea had long since past and it was just a matter of letting her heart slow down from its painful thrumming in her chest. When she finally had the strength to move, she headed straight into her bathroom, determined to at least get dressed for the day and try to distract herself from the inevitable dread and misery that came with being left with her thoughts.

Her reflection wasn’t even a shock to her anymore as she splashed cool water onto her face. A broken fragment of who she had once been stared back at her. The ever present dark circles under her eyes were as prominent as always and the lack of a restful sleep kept her eyes bloodshot. Thank god she wasn’t working today. Jaina wasn’t even sure if she had the energy to strip the rest of the way down and shower like she had planned. But she did. Forcing her way through the motions of some kind of normalcy was quickly becoming her new normal. 

Admittedly, the shower had made her feel better and she may have spent much longer than necessary under the hot spray. By the time Jaina had gotten dressed, this morning’s nightmare felt almost like a distant memory. 

It was only 8am by the time Jaina found herself pacing her kitchen, not necessarily hungry but knowing she needed to eat something.

Searching her empty cabinets only served to remind her that she needed to stock up on some groceries sooner rather than later. As it turned out, all she had were a few eggs left and a very sad amount of milk left in the little carton she’d bought a few days ago. Yep. Sooner rather than later. 

Checking her phone didn't even occur to her until well after she'd eaten her single scrambled egg. And as she touched the screen, her stomach plummeted as she saw several missed texts. 

All from Sylvanas.

**2:57am**

_ 'You don't have to thank me. I'm glad you made it home safe.’ _

**2:58am**

_ ‘I just realized it's been an hour. Where in the world do you live? The moon?’ _

**2:59am**

_ 'Don't answer that. That was rude.’ _

**3:04am**

_ 'I'm assuming you must have fallen straight asleep. That or you’re not keen on Lor’s weird friends. Which, like, fair. The guy keeps the worst company. Either way, have a good night Jaina!’ _

Jaina couldn't help the stupid grin plastered to her face as she read Sylvanas’ rambling texts. The woman exuded an almost tangible confidence in person. Judging by her texts, there was a pretty good chance Sylvanas was actually a disaster under her confident exterior. Before she could even think about it, she found herself typing a response. 

_ ‘Well, you're right on both counts there. I did fall asleep immediately and the man does keep the absolute worst company. You wouldn't believe the people he’s introduced me to. Especially lately.’ _

The text was sent, and before Jaina really had a chance to set her phone down, she could see those three dots, letting her know Sylvanas was already typing a response. 

_ ‘Oh I can absolutely imagine.’ _

_ 'Speaking of company, I don't suppose I could interest you in grabbing a coffee or something?’ _

Jaina’s brows shot straight up at the question. But before she could properly unscramble her brain, more texts were already coming through. 

_ 'You don't have to obviously.’ _

_ ‘I don't want you to feel any kind of obligation because I'm friends with your boss. I'm meant to be meeting my sisters for lunch today. They aren't like the usual rabble Lor keeps around so I thought maybe you'd like to join us.’ _

Yep. Absolute disaster. Despite the anxiety creeping up, Jaina honestly found Sylvanas incredibly endearing. Fuck. 

_ 'Rain check on that, maybe? I've just got a busy day today. Errands and what have you.’ _

It wasn't technically a lie. Jaina did need to go buy groceries. Though she supposed her usual shopping list made up of bread, pasta, eggs, and peanut butter wasn't exactly profound and didn't exactly count as being “busy.” But avoidance came like a second nature to Jaina these days. It's how it always went. She'd be invited out a few times and after so many excuses to stay in, the person would just stop asking and disappear all together. She'd done it countless times by now and this was no different. Though, at that thought Jaina felt a little pang of...regret? Disappointment?

_ ‘We’ll definitely have to plan for another time then. I won't keep you from your day in that case! Have a good day, Jaina :)’ _

Jaina simply sent a smile back and set her phone down with trembling hands.  _ This is for the best, _ she reasoned. 

But why did she feel so disappointed? 

**

Unsurprisingly, Jaina’s “many errands” only took her an hour, if that. She was lucky enough to live close to a small corner store and soon enough, she was back in her bare apartment, spending her afternoon cleaning things that really didn't need to be cleaned. The floors were spotless and she was pretty sure dust didn't exist in her home. She was just settling in with a book she'd read at least five hundred times judging by the condition of the cover, when her phone started ringing. A quick glance showed it to be Lor'themar. 

“Hello?”

“Good afternoon, Jaina,” Lor’themar’s smooth voice was as casual as ever. “Sorry about the short notice. But I was wondering if you wanted to pick up a shift for tonight? Just a few hours. We’re absolutely swamped today!” 

Jaina’s brows furrowed at his words. Busy? On a Tuesday night? 

“Uh, sure. That's not a problem. I can be there within the hour,” she replied, already yanking on one of her work shirts. 

“No, rush!” He amended. “Just whenever you can get here. Thank you, Jaina. You're the best.”

There was a click on the other line indicating that he'd already hung up. Weird. But Jaina didn't question it. It was a distraction that would be more than welcome. And god, did she need the money. Jaina was sure to throw on plenty of concealer and foundation before she left. She didn't need people staring at an obviously sleep deprived waitress while she tried to serve drinks all night. That just wouldn't do. 

Jaina soon started her trek to work. The weather was a bit more mild today so she only wore a light sweater while she carried her jacket on her arm. She knew she'd be back to freezing by the time she got off work if the cool evening air was anything to go by. 

When Jaina finally made her way into work, the first thing she noticed was how  _ not  _ busy it was. Before she could really wonder what the fuck was going on, she was being greeted by a very cheerful Lor’themar, sweeping his way into the kitchen. 

“Jaina! You made it! I have to admit, that crazy rush didn't last long. But far be it from me to tell you nevermind after you’d already made your way here, right?” 

Jaina only stared back in confusion. Unsure of how to respond. What was she doing here then?

“So,” he continued, beckoning her toward the dining area and eventually the bar. “I figured you could just hang around just in case we do get busy again. On the clock, of course! Maybe we can teach you a little bar tending, hm?”

Jaina was about to turn to question him when she caught sight of familiar blonde hair in the exact same spot as the night before. Right at the end of the bar where it met the back corner. Lor’themar was already walking away to tend to the bar as normal. 

Shaking her head, Jaina made her way over to Sylvanas. At least she'd have decent company as she pondered over why her boss was being so fucking weird. 

Sylvanas, who honestly just looked bored as she lounged at the bar. She had one foot up, resting on the bar stool next to her and seemed to be lost in thought as she stared into space while leaning back against the corner wall. Jaina cleared her throat as she approached. 

“This seat taken?” She asked, gesturing to the seat Sylvanas was currently using as a footstool. She watched as Sylvanas’ ears pricked upwards in surprise and her gaze moved from whatever was so interesting toward the ceiling, down to her.

“It is now,” she answered easily, shifting so that Jaina could sit down. “Didn't realize you were working tonight too. Lor must be quite the slave driver around here.” 

Sylvanas slipped easily into her teasing tone and the smirk that hardly seemed to leave her face from what Jaina could tell. She was dressed in a black leather jacket that seemed to hug all the right places. It looked stunning on her and was matched up with dark jeans and what looked like really expensive black leather boots. 

“And I didn't realize you were  _ this  _ much of a regular. Two nights in a row at a bar?” Jaina tsked teasingly. “Lor really does keep some bad company.” That got a genuine laugh out of Sylvanas. 

“Don't bring it up. Lor might think I actually enjoy hanging out here.” She rolled her eyes as if the very implication were unheard of. “You'll find that I really enjoy the tap here.” Sylvanas raised her glass as she spoke which was obviously ice water as it had been the night before.

“Not much of a drinker?” Jaina questioned.

“Only sometimes,” she winked, taking a sip from her glass. “Lor says I'm a little insufferable when I drink.”

“More than usual then?” 

“Much more than usual.” The banter came easily between them and Jaina found that she didn't really care that she'd been called into work for no reason. In fact, the weird events of today were the last thing on her mind. 

“So, Lor told me you were just working the morning shift tomorrow. Think I could cash in on that rain check and have you join me and my sisters for a late lunch? We ended up rescheduling. Something about my nephews being cranky shits today,” she waved as if it were a regular occurrence. As if Jaina had any clue what or who she was talking about. 

Jaina hesitated for a moment. She'd so easily declined Sylvanas’ invitation this morning. But that had been over text. Everything was easy over text. Here, Jaina had to look Sylvanas in the eye where under her casual demeanor, she could see the hopefulness in her gaze. Jaina found that the last thing she wanted to do was tell her no. How could she? She felt like a monster at the very idea of it.

“Okay,” she agreed almost shyly. Sylvanas’ wide smile was automatic and Jaina couldn't help but mirror it. “That sounds really nice. Where are we meeting?”

“I can pick you up at your place when you're ready? If you're comfortable with that,” she added quickly. Jaina could see a bit of nervousness poking through. God, she was being endearing again. Fuck. 

“Oh, yeah that's fine. I'll text you my address tomorrow.”

“Sounds good. We're just going to a little cafe not far from here. Dress casual. I'll be surprised if Alleria shows up not in sweatpants.”

“I'll be sure to try to blend in in that case,” Jaina chuckled.

“I should let you get back to...work? I guess?” Sylvanas said as she glanced around the mostly empty room. “It's about time I head home anyway. Let me know when you're ready to go and I'll pick you up tomorrow,” Sylvanas smiled. She spoke casually but Jaina could see the excitement dancing behind those grey eyes. She found that she loved seeing it. 

“Yeah. Okay,” Jaina agreed. “Have a good night, Sylvanas.”

Sylvanas stood and made a dramatic bow before making her way out of the bar. Jaina stared after her, even after she was long out of sight. It was a strange feeling. Looking forward to tomorrow. She hadn't felt that in, god, who knows how long now. This was new and Jaina found that she liked it despite simultaneously being terrified. 

Before she could think much more on it, she saw Lor’themar approach her from behind the bar.

“Hey, Lor, what--”

“Jaina! Let's explore the art of cocktails, shall we?!” And at that, Jaina found herself practically pulled behind the bar before she could get in another word. 

What in the hell was going on? 


	3. Chapter 3

Sleep eluded Jaina that night. This wasn't new to her, of course, however the reasoning for it was. There were no nightmares, no panic attacks. There was only this ball of anticipation tightening in her stomach and chasing sleep away in the process. She felt like a bundle of excitement, anxiety, and fear all rolled into one. When she came here, she told herself she would never let anyone get close to her again. She had built the tallest of walls around herself and she was doing a pretty damn good job of fortifying them. Everything was fine. She was fine. But it seemed that Sylvanas was trying her damndest to chip away at them without even realizing what she was doing. Jaina buried her face into her pillow and groaned. Maybe a friend was what she needed? Had she grown so content with her own misery that having someone to talk to was _ that _ terrifying?

Maybe she should cancel. This was foolish. The idea of bringing someone else into her fucked up life filled Jaina with dread. Especially someone like Sylvanas. She didn’t deserve that. As soon as she found out why she’d moved here only to struggle to survive, Sylvanas would just leave. How could she possibly deserve--

Jaina’s internal ramblings were cut off by the sound of her alarm blaring to life.  _ Fuck. _ She slammed the off button with a groan as it became very apparently that sleep was officially off the table. She’d barely noticed the morning sun had started peaking through her curtains ages ago. Jaina reached for her phone and groggily checked for notifications. Another new development for her. 

Of course there wasn’t anything there. She wasn’t sure why she was expecting anything at nine in the morning but the reminder of the time got Jaina up and moving. 

As she got to work making herself look presentable, Jaina continued to ponder the pros and cons of cancelling lunch with Sylvanas. The thought of just cutting all ties felt so easy in the moment, but she knew that she’d only see Sylvanas at the bar again. It was basically her routine to hang out at Lor’s bar most evenings when she was done working. Lor’themar had told her as much the night before as he showed her how to create some of his most popular cocktails.

With just over an hour until she was due to clock in, Jaina dashed her way down the stairs of her apartment building and started her walk to work. Her phone vibrated in her pocket as she made her way down the first of many blocks. She was unsurprised to see Sylvanas’ name pop up on the screen, but the smile creeped onto her face just the same. 

_ ‘Good morning! Have a good day at work and let me know when you’re ready for me to swing by and get you later :)’ _

She couldn’t. There was no way she could cancel now. Sylvanas seemed so genuinely excited to have her join them for lunch and all she could picture in her mind was the disappointment that she’s sure would be so clear on Sylvanas’ face if she did. One lunch with them wouldn’t kill her.

_ ‘Good morning to you too. I will be ready no later than 3 this afternoon :)’ _

Jaina pocketed her phone and continued on her trek. Impossibly, she felt wide awake and maybe a little cheerful as she continued down the busy London streets. Today would be a good day. She’d try her damndest to make it a great one.

**

“Jaina, are you sure you’re alright?” Lor’themar eyed her suspiciously as he asked for what was probably the fifth time that morning. Much to Jaina’s annoyance, at some point during her shift, she’d developed this annoying-ass cough that wouldn’t quit. It wasn’t terrible. But it was enough for Lor’themar to notice how often she’d fled to the back and scrubbed her hands as she tried to suppress it as much as possible. This could  _ not  _ be happening right now. She didn’t need this.

“Yeah, I’m fine Lor,” she sighed, after drying her hands once again. “Just an annoying tickle that won’t go away. Nothing to worry about.” Jaina wasn’t sure if she was trying to reassure Lor’themar or herself to be honest. 

“...Okay. But if it gets worse you need to get seen. Can’t have you dying on me. Especially after I shared my cocktail secrets with you,” he sighed.

“I wouldn’t dream of dying on you, don’t worry,” Jaina chuckled, only for it to trigger another handful of coughs.

“Right.”

**

By the time the end of her shift rolled around, Jaina at least felt slightly better. She’d drank an obscene amount of water in the hopes that maybe she could drown whatever was trying to infect her. That at least seemed to work for the time being. And as Jaina cheerfully said her good-byes to Lor, she could have sworn she saw him smirk as he told her to enjoy her afternoon. Insufferable. Every elf she knew was insufferable. 

Jaina practically jogged back to her apartment, making it in record time. She had time to shower and ponder over her sad excuse for a wardrobe. Luckily, Sylvanas had stressed how casual this lunch was so Jaina didn’t feel too bad about the plain jeans and red flannel she threw on. They were probably the nicest items she currently owned. She hastily put her hair in a braid over her shoulder which left plenty of time to actually make an effort with her make-up. The dark circles were easy to hide by now. That was simply a normal part of her routine. And obviously a bit of mascara wouldn’t hurt today. She could at least make the impression that she wasn’t a  _ complete  _ disaster.

Jaina blinked at herself in the mirror once it was all said and done. She’d already sent a quick text to Sylvanas letting her know she was ready. She still looked exhausted if her own reflection was anything to go by. But there was no turning back now. 

_ ‘I’m waiting outside! Right by the front doors.’ _

Jaina’s heart leapt as she realized there really  _ was  _ no turning back now. She took a deep, not calming at all, breath and made her way out of her apartment and down the stairs. She’d walked up to the front door and froze with her hand on handle. She suddenly found she couldn’t move any further.

Sylvanas was waiting for her outside as she’d said, dressed in her now trademark dark jeans with the same leather jacket from before. Her hair was down and despite the cloudy day, still seemed to just shine like actual gold. She was leaning against her passenger side door, playing with her phone as she waited for Jaina. That passenger side door just happened to be attached to a Lamborghini. A very shiny, very new, very black Lamborghini.

Jaina suddenly felt ashamed. Why would somebody like Sylvanas want to get to know someone like her? She couldn’t help but look down at herself and quickly back out to Sylvanas as she continued to wait patiently. What could Sylvanas possibly see in her?

Her suddenly very depressing thoughts were interrupted as Jaina felt her phone vibrate again.

_ ‘Everything ok? I’m at the right building right?’ _

Sylvanas continued to look down at her phone while Jaina stared back outside. Thank god all the windows in her building were heavily tinted. Another deep breath, and Jaina stepped outside which caused Sylvanas to immediately look up. Her smile was immediate and she stepped forward, catching Jaina completely off-guard as she pulled her into a hug. She found herself stiffening for a second before she returned it. Sylvanas felt warm in the chilly early December air and Jaina could have sworn she caught the scent of lavender as she pulled away.

“You ready for lunch?” Sylvanas asked casually, as if she didn’t notice Jaina practically short circuiting in front of her. The hug was brief, but Jaina found that much to her surprise she really didn’t want to pull away so soon.

“Y-yeah definitely,” she smiled awkwardly. “Though, I’m a little worried I’ll get dirt on the inside of your nice car,” she chuckled. She wasn’t actually joking. Sylvanas’ car looked like an art piece and Jaina hardly felt like it was appropriate for her to even look at it, let alone ride in it. 

“This thing has survived my nephews countless times. I think you’ll be fine,” Sylvanas laughed, opening the passenger door for her. She took Jaina’s hand and helped her in, making sure she was properly settled in the seat before closing the door behind her. She watched as Sylvanas walked briskly to the driver’s side and got in herself. The engine suddenly roared to life and Jaina couldn’t help but jump a bit in surprise.

“Sorry,” Sylvanas grinned. “I sometimes forget how loud this thing is. Should have warned you.”

“Oh no. I should have assumed,” Jaina chuckled as they pulled out onto the road. “This car is beautiful. Are cars a hobby of yours?” she asked curiously.

“I wouldn’t call it a hobby exactly,” Sylvanas practically drawled. “I just like to go fast. And it’s the most appropriate toy I have for the cold months.”

“That seems like a fair reason to own a Lambo,” Jaina laughed. Sylvanas turned to smile at her briefly, showing off the slightest hint of her fangs in the process. 

“Yeah, I had my mid-life crisis a little early. Better than drugs,” she shrugged. 

“Well, I may have to agree with you there.”

Contrary to what Sylvanas had stated, she was a very safe driver and only revved the engine inappropriately once to her credit. They’d made it to the cafe within a few minutes and Sylvanas had once again opened the door for her before helping her out. The cafe they’d come to was small, and not very busy this time of day. Sylvanas held the door for Jaina as they entered and she hoped that the blush she already felt dusting her cheeks would go unnoticed by Sylvanas as she pointed out her sisters waiting at a booth.

Truth be told, Sylvanas hardly needed to point them out. The resemblance was pretty obvious as they approached the two women sitting beside each other, already chatting enthusiastically over their menus. 

“Hey Sylv!” One sister stood up to offer Sylvanas a hug. The resemblance was uncanny. The only difference being that instead of golden blonde, she had platinum silver hair and stood at least three inches shorter than Sylvanas. Sylvanas hugged both her sisters in greeting before turning to Jaina.

“This is Jaina,” Sylvanas introduced her with a smile. “Jaina, this is Vereesa. She’s very nice.” Sylvanas gestured to the silver-haired woman that had greeted them first. “And that’s Alleria. She is only sometimes nice.” Alleria waved politely to Jaina, not even bothering to fight her sister on the introduction.

“The sometimes nice definitely only applies to Sylvanas,” Alleria smiled and winked. “You have nothing to worry about there, Jaina.” Sylvanas took a seat as she said as much and Jaina sat down beside her. She managed to catch Sylvanas sticking her tongue out at her sister and a warm laughter escaped her lips.

“Oh, good. I was a little worried it would be more than just Sylvanas that was insufferable,” Jaina teased.

“Oh, I like her,” Alleria smirked, glancing pointedly at Sylvanas who simply rolled her eyes in response. 

“I didn’t come here to be bullied by all of you,” Sylvanas sighed. Though you could plainly see fondness in her expression.

“So, Jaina,” Vereesa cut through the banter of her siblings. “Where did you meet my sister? I’m surprised to see her socializing these days.” Vereesa was smiling at her but Jaina could tell when she was being sized up. She met her gaze easily.

“I work for Lor’themar. He introduced us,” she answered. 

“Oh! I haven’t seen Lor in forever. I’m glad he’s still doing well. That makes sense though. He and Sylvanas have been friends for ages now.”

Vereesa looked like she was about to say something else when their waitress approached, asking if they were ready to order. Jaina had a split second of panic as she realized she’d meant to eat something small before she came. She was broke as shit and this was definitely not in her budget.

Alleria and Vereesa each ordered sandwiches and soup without a second thought. Jaina’s thoughts were going a mile a minute as the waitress turned to Jaina, ready to take her order.

“I’ll just have a cup of coffee, please,” she answered quietly. Neither sister paid her any mind but she could feel Sylvanas’ gaze burning into the side of her face. She ignored her, pretending to suddenly be paying close attention to whatever Vereesa was saying to Alleria. 

When it came time for Sylvanas to order she only hesitated for a moment. 

“Yeah can I get the chicken salad on a croissant. Uhh, a blueberry muffin, a basket of fries, and...you know what, make that two sandwiches. I’m starving,” Sylvanas rattled off casually.

Jaina ignored the growling of her stomach as she continued to stare ahead.

**

“So, Jaina what do you do for fun?” Alleria asked as they waited for their food to come. It was a completely innocent question but Jaina squirmed all the same when she realized she didn’t exactly have an answer to that.  _ Oh you know, when I’m not working myself to death I obsessively clean my apartment and then stare into space until I hopefully fall asleep. Usual stuff. _

“I don’t have a whole lot of time these days since I work a lot,” Jaina answered. “I used to ride horses before I moved.” Sylvanas’ ears perked in interest and Jaina fidgeted nervously, hoping the subject would move away from her. 

“Oh that’s awesome. You know Sylvanas is a serious adrenaline junkie but I don’t think she’s tried horse riding. Maybe you could take her. Might convince her to sell that bike of hers before she kills herself on it.” Jaina sort of froze at that statement but Sylvanas piped up before she could come up with some kind of response. 

“I’m a very safe driver, thank you very much,” Sylvanas complained. “And isn’t it a little late in the year for you to be nagging me about my bike?”

“I’m just saying, baby sister,” Alleria said in a sing-song voice, before looking back at Jaina. “You mentioned you moved here? Did you come with family?” 

Fuck.

“No. No, just me,” she answered honestly.

“Wow, that takes a lot of bravery,” Vereesa added. “Are you an only child or do you have siblings at home?”

If they noticed Jaina hesitate, no one said anything. 

“I don't have any siblings, no.” 

It felt like a blessing when their waitress returned with their food and Jaina’s single cup of coffee. She sipped it slowly as plates and bowls were passed around, the subject dropped for now. Jaina listened idly as Sylvanas started asking Vereesa how her sons were doing. As she spoke, Jaina suddenly found a plate being slid in front of her. She looked over at Sylvanas but found herself only staring at the side of her face as she continued talking. Jaina stared down at the sandwich placed before her as if it would bite her. She never made a move to touch it until she felt Sylvanas’ leg press against her own in a silent reassurance that yes, she did mean to slide her plate over and no, there would be no arguments about it.

She didn’t intend to, but she practically inhaled the sandwich in front of her, only barely listening to the conversations happening around her. She was so hungry and to be honest, she hadn’t had anything this good in months. You’d have thought she was dining at a five star restaurant.

“Okay, Jaina, get this,” Alleria started, laughing already at whatever she was about to say. They had long since finished eating and were now waiting to ask for the check. The new theme was to see which sister could tell the most embarrassing story about young Sylvanas, whose head was already buried in her hands at this point. “When Sylv was a teenager she came home in the middle of the night, absolutely smashed. You know how high school is. Mom was already asleep and at that point was completely over trying to discipline her rebellious daughter, right. Well, Sylv comes into my room crying. I mean this girl is distraught. She crawls into bed with me and I ask her what’s wrong.”

“Alleria,” Sylvanas groaned into her hands. “I am begging you.” But her complaints fell on deaf ears. Jaina already had tears from laughing so hard at her expense.

“You know Siri, right?” Alleria continued. “Well, Sylvanas had changed hers to sound like an Irish man and she was crying because the damn phone wouldn’t stop talking to her. She was begging me to make him stop talking and nothing would console the poor thing,” Alleria finished, tears pooling at the corners of her eyes.

“I am never bringing Jaina around you two ever again,” Sylvanas grumbled, the tips of her ears turning bright red. Jaina thought it was adorable.

“Do I not get a say in this?” Jaina pouted. “I quite like spending time with them.” Sylvanas looked up, probably to make some sort of retort but stopped short when she took in Jaina’s expression.

“Okay, stop looking at me like that,” she laughed, shielding her eyes. “You can literally have whatever you want.”

She saw Alleria and Vereesa exchange glances briefly just as their waitress approached once again.

“Is this going to be together or separate, ladies?”

“All together,” Sylvanas said, before anyone else could get a word in. 

“Syl-” Jaina was cut off before she could even finish her protest.

“Nope. Despite the fact that all of you spent this lunch making fun of me, this was my treat.”

“Don’t bother, Jaina,” Vereesa laughed. “It’s always Sylvanas’ treat. Might as well get used to it now. I think you’ll find out pretty quick,” she winked. There was a very obvious kick to Vereesa’s shin under the table as she said so. “Ow! There’s no need for violence, Sylvanas.”

“I don’t know. It seems like she won’t be speaking to any of us for a while,” Jaina laughed. Though she was internally questioning the implication behind Vereesa’s words.

“Oh, I think we’ll be seeing a lot of each other,” Alleria added. “Ow!” The tell-tale bang underneath the table got them all laughing all over again.


	4. Chapter 4

“Jaina! You have a visitor in the back,” Lor’themar called from the bar. She'd just cleaned up the last of the tables from their breakfast rush and now the dining area was pretty much empty for the time being. Today was a good day. She was still practically floating after her lunch with Sylvanas and her sisters. They'd been so much fun to spend time with. Lor’themar, especially, had taken notice and pointed out her good mood any time he could. 

“Who is it?” she asked curiously, before aiming an errant cough into her sleeve. It was only noon and Sylvanas never showed up until the evenings. She didn't know anyone else.

“Some elf lady who seems to think she owns the place these days.”

Jaina perked up immediately and walked quickly toward the door labeled “Employees Only.” But not too quick. Lor seemed extra keen on pointing out how Jaina actually  _ enjoyed  _ the company of one of his friends. A feat that he claims, is worthy of only the highest recognition. 

Jaina quickly tossed her apron to the side and made her way into the back room reserved for break times. Most everyone had gone home by now, not too keen on sticking around when they didn't need to. Jaina, on the other hand, had volunteered to work until mid-afternoon so she'd be here most of the day. 

She was smiling before she even caught sight of her, but as she spotted Sylvanas at the small table in the back, opening several takeout containers her expression got impossibly brighter. 

“You're here early,” Jaina pointed out. “And this doesn't seem to be your usual spot either.”

“Well I heard that it was your lunch time. And since I happened to be in the neighborhood I figured I'd drop in and bring you some lunch,” Sylvanas answered as she strode over to Jaina. She held her arm out and Jaina didn't hesitate to pull Sylvanas into a friendly hug. One thing she'd learned over the past day: Sylvanas and both her sisters were huggers. And she found that she really didn't mind it. Quite the opposite actually, 

“You didn't have to do that,” Jaina sighed, as they pulled apart much too soon for her liking. Sylvanas shrugged. 

“No, but Chinese takeout is delicious and it would have been a sin for me to keep all this to myself,” she replied, gesturing to the several boxes she'd opened on the table. 

“Well when you put it like that…” Jaina grinned and took a seat across from Sylvanas. “You look nice today.”

Sylvanas really did look nice today. Rather than her usual casual outfits, she was dressed slightly more formal than usual. Business casual may have been the proper term. She wore a nice light blue shirt tucked into form-fitting black pants. The shirt was rolled up part way up her forearms and the outfit was completed with a dark blue scarf and black heels. Her golden hair was tied back in an elegant ponytail. 

“Yeah sometimes I have to look slightly presentable,” she chuckled. “Had a business meeting this morning.”

That statement made Jaina realize she didn't even know what Sylvanas did for a living. If she was being honest, she was a little afraid to ask ever since Sylvanas had pulled up to her apartment in a car that cost more than multiple homes.

“What do you do?” she asked before she could stop herself. Sylvanas gave a nonchalant shrug before Jaina could start panicking over whether that was an appropriate question or not. 

“Security, generally,” she answered easily before taking a bite of food. “My company offers cyber security and physical security. I was in Spain for a month recently and America for a few weeks before that, doing physical security for some insufferable government officials.” Sylvanas rolled her eyes at that last statement. 

“So you're like a bodyguard?” Jaina asked. The question had her eyes drifting from Sylvanas’ face down to her arms. She realized that what little of Sylvanas’ forearms she could see, they were definitely insanely toned. She found herself staring for much longer than was probably appropriate before she forced her gaze to snap back up to Sylvanas’ face. It was too late though. Sylvanas already had that insufferable smirk on her face as she'd caught her looking. The blush creeping up on Jaina’s face was immediate. 

“Sometimes,” she answered smoothly. “I usually try to delegate the more hands on stuff to my other colleagues but sometimes I get asked for personally,” she shrugged. 

“That sounds like a dangerous line of work,” Jaina commented, hints of worry fairly obvious behind her words. 

“It’s not too bad,” Sylvanas reassured her. “The most I typically have to do is remind the odd person to back the fuck off. But if things go south I'm usually faster,” she grinned. 

“I suppose I have seen you in action,” Jaina laughed, only slightly put at ease by her words. Sylvanas winked as she took another bite. 

They made comfortable small talk as they finished their lunch. Jaina knew her lunch time was quickly drawing to a close and she couldn't help but feel a little sad that their time would be cut short so soon. Though as time went on, it was becoming more and more apparent to Jaina that Sylvanas was becoming increasingly fidgety. Nervous. She was about to ask if she was alright when Sylvanas cleared her throat.

“So, since I'm here I wanted to ask if maybe you'd like to come over tonight for dinner? I was going to cook and just have a night in,” she asked, eyes darting down to her mostly empty plate as she spoke. Jaina thought it was adorable. 

“I would love to,” Jaina answered. And she found that she really did want to. No anxiety. No hesitation. 

Sylvanas’ head snapped up and she looked genuinely surprised at Jaina’s acceptance. 

“Really? I mean, that's great. I can pick you up when your shift ends later?”

“I’d like that.”

**

“Shouldn’t you be starting your epic journey home?” Lor’themar asked later that afternoon. “Hovering by the back door is new for you.”

“I’m just waiting on my ride,” Jaina answered. Her smile told him all he needed to know evidently. 

“Your ride, huh?” His eyebrows waggled as he spoke. “In that case let Sylvanas know I’ll miss seeing her tonight.”

“Don’t you have a bar to be tending to?” 

“Perhaps” Lor’themar laughed. “Enjoy your evening, Jaina.” She shook her head as he walked away, jumping a bit as her phone finally went off.

_ ‘I’m outside.’ _

Jaina had never left work so quickly in her life. Sylvanas was waiting outside of her car at the back of the building, leaning against the passenger door just as she had before. She was dressed much more casually compared to earlier that day. She’d switched her business attire for black leggings and a large hoodie.

“Well, now I feel overdressed,” Jaina joked as she pulled Sylvanas into a hug. She felt her laugh against her and pulled Sylvanas just a bit tighter to her before letting go.

“We can fix that. I’m sure I’ll have something that will fit you,” Sylvanas said as she helped Jaina into the passenger seat. Jaina couldn’t help that ever-present feeling of  _ fondness  _ that warmed her chest as she watched Sylvanas jog to the other side of the car. 

The ride was mostly spent in comfortable silence. Sylvanas had asked Jaina how her day was and vice versa. Other than that Jaina was more than content to stare out the window as they drove through unfamiliar neighborhoods. Jaina didn’t live in a bad part of town per say. It wasn’t the best, wasn’t the worst. But the area where Sylvanas apparently lived put it all to shame. The houses were beautiful. Not millionaire huge, but moderate sized with well-manicured lawns. 

Eventually, Sylvanas pulled up to a modest two-story home that was situated on its own behind an iron security gate. Modest compared to the rest of the neighborhood, anyway. She leaned out of her window to punch in a code and the gate slid open slowly. The paved driveway was quite long and Jaina idly wondered how much of a pain in the ass it was for Sylvanas to get her mail every day. She expressed as much out loud.

“Oh, I do a lot of running so I just stop on the way back from my morning run. Though, if I’m feeling lazy I do have a golf cart for that,” Sylvanas grinned. They’d made it to the front of the house by now.

“Of course you do,” Jaina laughed.

After helping her out of the car, Sylvanas led Jaina up to the front door. Rather than a key, the door used a numbered keypad just as the front gate had. As the door swung open, Jaina was hit by the smell of food cooking. Whatever it was smelled amazing and Jaina found that despite the lunch she had earlier she was starving. It seemed her body was rapidly protesting the careful rationing she’d been doing the past few months.

“Here, I’ll take you upstairs so you can get changed,” Sylvanas offered, guiding her to the nearby staircase. The living area had pure white carpeting that extended up the stairs. Jaina couldn’t help but admire the polished dark would that accented the railings. Sylvanas’ house was honestly beautiful on the inside. “Dinner should be ready in half an hour or so. I hope you like roast?”

“If that’s what I smelled when I walked in then I promise I’ll probably like it,” Jaina smiled. “I’m not picky though so you could probably feed me pretty much anything.”

“Good to know. I hardly get a chance to cook for anyone these days so you’ll have to give me your honest critique, Miss Proudmoore.”

Jaina was led into what was obviously Sylvanas’ bedroom. It was the same clean white as the living room and her furniture was the same dark wood as well. Picture frames hung on the walls, all depicting various members of Sylvanas’ family. Jaina recognized Vereesa and Alleria in several of them.

“Okay so I have t-shirts and hoodies on this side of the closet,” Sylvanas gestured toward one side of the room before she started rummaging through one of her dressers. “You’re a little bit taller than me but I have some sweats that’ll work for now. Not like we’re going anywhere,” Sylvanas chuckled as she laid them out on her bed. “You can leave your things in here if you want. I’ll be downstairs in the kitchen, okay? Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” Jaina answered gratefully as Sylvanas left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Jaina didn’t waste any time getting out of her work clothes. She sighed in relief as she got out of her jeans and slipped on the surprisingly soft pants Sylvanas had left for her. Upon inspecting the walk-in closet, Jaina had no trouble finding something to pull on. Sylvanas seemed to have an abundance of comfortable t-shirts and so she picked out a navy colored one. She laughed as she saw what was on the front. There was a tiny knight in armor with a sword and shield and a dragon looming over him. It was captioned with ‘Ugh, canned food again.’  _ What a nerd. _

Jaina pulled on the shirt and ran her fingers through her hair as she made her way back down the hallway to the stairs. She could hear Sylvanas opening and closing cabinets from down below, likely finishing up with dinner. As Jaina passed a full office and another room that was converted into a gym, she had to wonder how Sylvanas found the time to be social with all she had going on just in her house. The place was almost spotless on top of that. 

Jaina strode across the living room and took a seat at the granite island in the kitchen. Sylvanas turned and a laugh immediately escaped her lips as she looked at Jaina. 

“I see you found one of my favorite shirts. Don’t tell anyone you’ve found out about my secret love of stupid jokes, though.”

“Your secret is safe with me. Though I might have to steal this one. It’s adorable,” Jaina chuckled. Sylvanas seemed to take her in for a moment longer before answering.

“Yeah. Adorable. Maybe I’ll let you borrow it a bit longer then,” she smiled before turning and checking the oven. “This is about done. What do you like to drink? I have wine or harder stuff if you want. Or if you’re not much for drinking I have water and some soft drinks I think.”

“I’ll have whatever you’re having,” Jaina replied easily. Sylvanas nodded at that and pulled some wine glasses down from the cabinet. 

**

“Sylvanas, are you sure you’re not actually a world famous chef?” Jaina asked as she took her second bite of the roast Sylvanas had apparently expertly crafted. They had both moved to the living room with their wine and plates of food. The TV was on but neither of them was really paying attention to what was on. Jaina, at least, was way too busy marveling over Sylvanas’ cooking. 

“Pretty sure,” she mumbled around a mouth full of food. “But I appreciate the compliment.”

Jaina was well into her second glass of wine by this point and pleasantly wine drunk. It had been so long since she felt like she could just let go and have fun. Especially with another person. But Sylvanas made it feel so easy. 

Jaina’s eyes trailed lazily around the room, finally getting to take a good look at some of the photos that were hanging up. One of them depicted a slightly younger Sylvanas and Vereesa, each holding a baby and smiling happily at whoever was taking the photo. Those must have been Vereesa’s sons she’d heard about from time to time. Twins. Jaina had to look away abruptly at the realization and instead focused on another photo. A more recent one with Sylvanas and an older woman who she was basically a spitting image of. 

“Is that your mother?” Jaina asked curiously, nodding to the photo in question. 

“Yep, that’s her,” Sylvanas answered with a soft smile. “She’s the best. You’ll have to meet her sometime. I know she’d absolutely love you.” Jaina found she had to quickly swallow a lump in her throat at that statement which triggered the horrid cough she’s just barely been able to shake. She felt Sylvanas’ hand rest between her shoulder blades as Jaina struggled to catch her breath. “You okay?” It was several seconds before she could respond.

“Yes. Sorry. Food went down the wrong way,” she lied. “I'd love to meet her.”

Sylvanas gave her a long look before deciding to drop the matter much to Jaina’s relief. She’d turned back to her plate and continued eating.

“I know you said you don’t have siblings. Do you speak to your parents much? I couldn’t imagine living so far from mine. You’re much braver than I,” Sylvanas chuckled. Jaina knew nothing was meant by it. It was just a question. But even in her mostly happy, buzzed state it was a hard question to swallow. Jaina even considered not answering. But it just didn’t seem fair at this point to keep her entire life from Sylvanas. Not if they were going to be spending this much time together. She couldn’t avoid it forever. And so Jaina took an enormous swig of her wine followed by a deep sigh. 

“I don’t speak to my parents,” she admitted. “We haven’t been on good terms for, well, a very long time. Not for several years.” 

“I’m sorry,” Sylvanas apologized immediately. “I didn’t realize...I should have thought…” Her ears drooped under the weight of her guilt at bringing it up and Jaina felt awful for making her feel that way.

“No, you don’t have to apologize. You didn’t know.” Jaina laid a hand on Sylvanas’ arm in reassurance, her soft skin was warm under her fingertips. She bit her lip as she considered her next words. It was honestly now or never at this point. “And I  _ did  _ have a sibling,” Jaina confessed. She leaned forward to set her plate on the coffee table in front of her, her appetite gone now. Sylvanas followed suit and moved her hand to rest at the middle of Jaina’s back. “We were twins.”

“What was their name?” Sylvanas asked quietly. She moved closer to Jaina so that there was only minimal space between them. Jaina found herself leaning into Sylvanas as she drew comfort from her presence. 

“Derek.” She hadn’t spoken that name in so long, she thought it would be harder than it actually was. But Jaina found that finally speaking his name made her shoulders feel just a little bit lighter. Tears pricked at her eyes but they didn’t spill. Though not crying just became extremely difficult as Sylvanas pulled her tightly into her arms. “His name was Derek. I lost him days before I moved here and mom blames me.” A single tear rolled down her cheek at the admission. She could still hear her mother’s screams as she told Jaina over and over ‘it should have been  _ you _ out there, not him.’ She re-lived it almost every night when she did manage to fall asleep.

“Jaina, I don’t know what happened but I  _ know  _ none of this was your fault. She has no right to make you feel that way. I’m so sorry.” Sylvanas never let go of her and Jaina found that she really didn’t want her to. 

“I’ve never spoken to anyone about it before,” Jaina said quietly, clinging to Sylvanas as if she were physically holding her together. Maybe she was.

“You can talk to me about anything, Jaina. I promise, I would never judge you for anything. You are so good. So, so good.” Sylvanas sounded so heartbroken as she tried to reassure Jaina that it was okay. Jaina just couldn’t bring herself to feel like she deserved to have a friend like her. 

“I don’t know. Sometimes I think it might be my fault.” She took a deep, shuddering breath in. “I was supposed to be out there that day. If I was, he would still be here and I-” She couldn’t even bring herself to finish the sentence. Sylvanas stiffened around her and Jaina mentally braced herself for the inevitable. Sylvanas was finally going to figure out how fucked up she was. She would just be a stain on Sylvanas’ incredible life. She had a loving family, she had stability. What could she possibly need her around for?

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Sylvanas asked gently. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I understand if it’s too much right now.”

“I told you I used to ride horses,” she sighed, resigning herself to just lay everything out. Start from the beginning. Jaina didn’t think it could possibly turn out any worse at this point. She was already coming to terms with the fact that Sylvanas would likely never speak to her again. Still, she kept herself within Sylvanas’ hold as she told the story out loud for the first time. “It wasn’t exactly a hobby. It was the family business. We had one of the best training programs in the country. Derek and I were both competing internationally by the time we were teens. It was just what we did.

“Mom and I were on the rocks for a long time. She wasn’t in agreement with my, ah, preferences. I was sixteen when I told my parents I liked girls. Dad was more disappointed than anything but Mom… It was bad. Derek had to get in between us that night and I ended up leaving. Mom wouldn’t let me in the house for several days but she let up eventually. Derek sort of became the ‘favorite’ and I spent years just trying to please my parents. I know he felt awful about it but it wasn’t his fault. He was my best friend.”

“It sounds like he was a good brother,” Sylvanas whispered, giving Jaina another squeeze. A silent urge to continue. Jaina’s heart throbbed painfully in her chest.

“Yeah, he was. Maybe to a fault.” Jaina gave a humorless laugh. “I was supposed to ride for my parents at an event. I had just had a big fight with my mom and I ended up withdrawing myself. She was livid and Derek stepped in and offered to do it. I guess he thought it would appease her enough to leave me alone.

“I was at the event when it happened. He was riding a cross country course and it was going well. I was at the finish line with both my parents waiting for him to cross. No one really saw it coming. His horse cleared the jump but he landed wrong somehow. It happens. But this was bad, Sylvanas. So bad. The horse flipped forward and landed on top of him. He died on impact. I saw my brother die. And the first thing I even remember happening at that moment was Mom screaming at me. That it should have been me.” The tears flowed freely now. Jaina couldn’t stop them if she tried and Sylvanas’ sleeve quickly became soaked. “I wasn’t even allowed at his funeral. I just didn’t know what to do. So I packed a bag and bought a plane ticket to the earliest flight I could get. It just happened to be an international one. To London. I ran away from everything.”

Jaina didn’t even realise that Sylvanas was crying with her until she heard sniffling as her story finished. She panicked a little as she felt Sylvanas pull away.  _ This was it. _ Jaina couldn’t even meet her gaze. She simply stared at her hands that were now resting in her lap. 

“Jaina, look at me,” Sylvanas said firmly. “Please.”

She did. She didn’t want to but she found that she couldn’t deny Sylvanas anything. Even if she knew she’d likely be sent home.  _ God, how am I going to get home? _

“I understand if you don’t want to be involved in all this shit,” Jaina began, before she could stop herself. “I told you. Everything is just fucked up. All I do is ruin everything around me.”

“Will you shut up for a second?” Sylvanas sighed in exasperation, busying herself by wiping away Jaina’s tears with her thumb. “I mean this in the nicest way possible. But with all due respect, your mother sounds like a bitch. None of this is your fault. We can’t see the future and you didn’t ask for any of this to happen. I can’t even imagine what you’ve been through but I’m not just going to run away because you haven’t had a perfect life. I’d be a horrible friend if I did.”

“I’m sorry I dumped all this on you. I ruined our dinner.” Jaina smiled a little through her tears. “You’re right though. My mother is a bitch.”

“Jaina, I told you. You can tell me anything. I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide any part of your life. And if I have to remind you every day that none of this was your fault, I will. You are so good.” She squeezed Jaina’s hand as she spoke. 

“Maybe one day I’ll believe it,” she sighed. “I was hoping if I just isolated myself here it would all just go away. Silly, isn’t it?”

“Well. Silly as you may be, you have me now. And Lor. And my sisters. Don’t hide from us, okay?”

“I’ll try not to.” And at that, Jaina felt herself being pulled into another hug. She certainly didn’t feel perfect. But she definitely felt lighter. And that was enough. It was more than enough for now.

**

It was some time later when Jaina realized she must have fallen asleep. The TV was still on and she realized that she felt surprisingly...well rested. Something that felt foreign to her now. It was then that she realized Sylvanas must have fallen asleep as well. Jaina was leaned against her side comfortably and she felt the weight of Sylvanas’ head resting on top of her own. She could hear soft snores coming from the elf and she had to stop herself from laughing. This all felt so surreal. When Jaina agreed to dinner tonight this was the very last thing she ever expected. She tried so hard to keep Sylvanas at arm’s length, but she was simply powerless to stop her from shattering every barrier she put up. She didn’t think she’d be able to deny Sylvanas anything, and that thought scared Jaina more than anything. She was getting herself into dangerous territory.

As much as Jaina just wanted to freeze time here and pretend nothing existed outside of this house, she really needed to get home. She could tell it was late and she had a long shift tomorrow. Open to close. It was going to be brutal but Jaina was ecstatic about the extra money.

“Sylvanas? Wake up,” she whispered gently as she nudged her a bit. It turned out Sylvanas was the lightest sleeper in the world which really shouldn’t have been a surprise.

“Hm? You okay?” she asked sleepily, not bothering to move quite yet. She either didn’t notice she was quite literally cuddled up with Jaina, or she just didn’t care. That made Jaina consider the similarities between cats and elves based on what she had experienced so far, much to her amusement.

“I’m okay,” she answered honestly. “I just really need to get home. I have an early day tomorrow.” Sylvanas still didn’t move.

“Mmm, why don’t you just stay the night? I can drop you off tomorrow.”

“I really shouldn’t. And I’ve got some stuff I need to get done at the apartment.” That was a lie. An absolute lie. But Jaina felt like she’d taken up quite enough of Sylvanas’ time. Despite her reassurances, she simply wasn’t convinced that she wouldn’t decide she’d had enough of her. She really wasn’t keen on pushing her luck tonight.

“If you’re sure,” she mumbled sleepily as she sat up, away from her. Jaina found that she felt cold all of a sudden. “If you want to get your things from my room, I’ll go warm up the car. It’s cold tonight.”

Jaina agreed and made her way upstairs to get her things. She pulled on her jacket but didn’t bother changing out of Sylvanas’ clothes. She could return them later, after all. She laughed out loud when she heard the ridiculously loud start-up of Sylvanas’ car from inside the house. 

Sylvanas met her at the bottom of the stairs and took Jaina’s hand, squeezing it as they walked outside. She opened the passenger door of the sports car as usual and helped Jaina inside. As Sylvanas drove them to the apartment, she broke the silence, never taking her eyes off the dimly lit road.

“I hope you had a nice time tonight despite everything,” she said quietly in the darkness. “And I hope you know I was completely serious. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me, okay? Whether you’re having a good day or a bad day. We’re friends now. Whether you like it or not. You can’t get rid of me.” Jaina could hear the smile in her voice at the end but knew the seriousness of her words. She felt so warm.

“I can’t promise I’ll be perfect,” Jaina replied. “But I’ll try my best. I’m so happy to have your friendship, Sylvanas. I hope you know that.”

“I do now,” she grinned.

When they pulled up to Jaina’s apartment several minutes later, Sylvanas insisted on walking her to her door. Citing the late hour and the poorly lit streets. Jaina didn’t mind though. She was more than happy to prolong her time with Sylvanas. 

With their arms linked together the two women walked into the quiet apartment building and ascended the stairs to the second floor. They stopped in front of Jaina’s door.

“This is me,” Jaina said quietly. “Thank you again for dinner and lunch earlier and just...everything.”

“Any time. Seriously, any time. I’ll cook for you again when Lor is done slave driving you,” she winked.

“I’d like that,” Jaina smiled. Before she could turn away, Sylvanas leaned forward and hugged her. However, just as she pulled away she felt soft lips pressed against her cheek. Jaina didn’t even have time to comprehend what was happening before it was over. 

“Have a good night, Jaina.” Sylvanas squeezed her hand once more before she turned and left, leaving a stunned Jaina blushing madly in front of her door. 

_ Oh fuck. Oh shit. _


	5. Chapter 5

Despite the happenings of the previous day, Jaina was surprised to find that nightmares did not plague her that night. Sleep had overtaken her gently and her mind was eased with images of soft smiles and warm hugs. She really should have been much more suspicious, really. Seeing as the real nightmare began when she opened her eyes the following morning. 

Her alarm blared at her, and yet all she could think about was how she quite literally felt like she had been run over by a truck. Multiple times. Her cough was back with a vengeance and every breath rattled her lungs. This couldn't be happening. 

Jaina dragged herself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. She was obviously paler than usual as she examined her reflection. But she could easily pass off as normal for today. If she could just get through today she could get seen by a doctor tomorrow, she reasoned. She couldn't afford to miss today’s shift. She just couldn't. 

Jaina felt like pure lead as she went through the motions of getting ready for work. She’d managed to make her way out of the building and into the chilly morning air. The cold from the night before still making itself known. Jaina made an attempt to distract herself by taking in the sights around her. December having started, there were Christmas lights strung up and twinkling softly this morning. It was always Jaina’s favorite time of year. Things were always a little more bearable at home around the holidays. It suddenly struck her that this would be her first Christmas without Derek. It would be her first Christmas without a lot of things and she found that for the first time in months, she really missed home. 

She shook her head at the thought, an action that triggered a slight throbbing behind her eyes. There was nothing there for her. Not anymore. 

Jaina had been so distracted by her thoughts and trying not to collapse where she stood, that she didn’t realize how slow she’d been during her walk. When she walked through the side entrance of  _ The Spire  _ she was met by the sight of a pacing Lor’themar. It was then that she realized, with a glance at the wall clock, that she was thirty minutes late. Shit. 

“Jaina!” Lor’themar exclaimed immediately as she walked through. “You’re late. You’re never late,” he frowned. 

“I’m sorry, I-” Jaina was interrupted by a sudden coughing fit. She felt herself sway on her feet a little. 

“Oh no. Absolutely not. You should have called in today,” Lor’themar scolded. “I told you days ago to see a doctor and I doubt you’ve done that considering the state you’re in. Look at you,” he sighed with a click of his tongue. 

“But-”

“No. Don’t argue with me, Jaina. I’m calling a cab for you and you’re staying home today. You aren’t going to work like this.” He already had his phone out and started dialing. Jaina’s heart sank and the desperation suddenly clawed its way through.

“Lor, please. I can’t afford to… I really need this shift.” Jaina usually thought herself above begging. But she couldn’t afford to miss today. She was barely making her rent as it was. 

“I’m sorry, Jaina. I really am. But I can’t have you working like this. We can move your schedule around a bit and make up the lost hours when you’re better. Not before.”

Jaina sighed in defeat just as another wave of coughs wracked her body. There was no way this could get any worse. 

**

Turns out it could get worse. Way worse. By the time Jaina was dropped off in front of her apartment building she felt incredibly hot and borderline delirious. She couldn’t even remember how she’d made it up the stairs and back into her apartment. All she knew was she’d made her way directly into her bedroom and was asleep before she even hit the bed. 

Jaina felt like her eyes had only been closed for mere moments when she heard someone frantically calling her name. An icy hand was pressed to the side of her face and she leaned in to the touch as she let it soothe her overheated skin. 

Wait.

She was at home. 

Someone was in her apartment.

Her eyes snapped open at the realization and she was shocked to see a frantic Sylvanas leaning over her, searching her eyes for any kind of recognition. 

“Jaina? Can you hear me?” she asked worriedly. 

“Syl- What are you…?” Jaina couldn’t find the strength to even finish her thoughts. Just breathing seemed to be taking a tremendous effort and her head was still clouded with sleep and fever. 

“Oh thank goodness,” she heard Sylvanas sigh with relief. “I can’t believe that idiot didn’t send you to a doctor. I’m sorry if I freaked you out. But when I showed up at the bar with lunch Lor told me he sent you home. So when you didn’t answer my texts or calls I came to check on you. Jaina, you left your apartment door wide open. I thought… I thought-” Sylvanas couldn’t even bring herself to say it out loud. 

“M’fine,” Jaina mumbled. She rested her hand on top of Sylvanas’ which was still pressed pleasantly against her skin. Sylvanas scoffed. 

“Right, ‘fine.’ You’re absolutely burning up. I’m taking you to the doctor tomorrow. But if we can’t get your fever down soon I’m taking you to the emergency room. Stay here,” she instructed before pulling her hand out from under Jaina’s and walking off. As if Jaina could go anywhere in her state. She felt herself about to doze off again when she heard Sylvanas come back in.

“And I’m sure you haven’t had a bite to eat today,” she ranted, pressing a cool, damp cloth to Jaina’s forehead. “Here, take these.” She helped Jaina sit up slightly and handed her a glass of water. She took the pills without protest and laid back down. “See if that helps. I’m going to make you something to eat while you rest. I’ll be back to check on you, okay?” 

Jaina felt like she should argue. That she should assure Sylvanas that, no, she didn’t need to stay and take care of her. That she could take care of herself. But she simply could not bring herself to. Without another word, she drifted off once again.

Jaina’s evening became a blur of sleeping and waking for mere seconds to Sylvanas checking on her. She wasn’t even remotely sure of the time when she felt the bed sink in beside her. She opened one eye to see Sylvanas sitting beside her, one hand on her forehead and the other holding a bowl of something obviously hot. 

“Hey,” Sylvanas’ gentle voice nudged her just a bit more toward full consciousness. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Jaina rasped. It certainly didn’t sound like it. And she had no doubt she didn’t look better. But she certainly felt better. She thought that Sylvanas might claim she was lying but the relieved smile that just barely reached her eyes told her otherwise. 

“Good. I think your fever finally broke. But it would make me feel even better if you ate this soup I made you.”

“You didn’t have to do all this, Sylvanas. But thank you,” Jaina added. She managed to sit up with only a little bit of help and took the bowl from Sylvanas gratefully. She didn’t realize how hungry she was until she took the first bite. It was amazing, of course. 

“Of course,” she smiled. “I need to get home, but I’ll be back in the morning to check on you and get you to a doctor. My cooking skills can only cure so much,” she laughed. 

“I suppose there’s no convincing you that this is too much?” 

“Not a chance,” she winked. “I’ll call you when I’m on my way so you can let me in, okay? Text me if you need anything before then.” She moved to stand up but stopped and turned in surprise when Jaina grabbed her hand.

“Sylvanas? Thank you. Seriously, I don’t know how I would have made it through today.”

“Of course,” she breathed, giving Jaina’s hand one last squeeze. “Have a good night, Jaina.”

Jaina watched her leave and couldn’t help but smile into her bowl as she heard the front door shut. How did she get so lucky? She was a fool for thinking she could live her life alone. She’d been so guarded and yet Sylvanas was the one light in her life right now. Old her was such an idiot, Jaina mused.

By the time she finished her bowl, Jaina already felt a million times better save for the still frequent cough. But at least she felt like she could function now. Dishes in hand, she made her way out of bed and into the kitchen so she could at least clean up and shower for the night. However, she had just crossed onto the tile floor when the bowl slipped out of her hands with a gasp. She barely registered the sound of ceramic smashing into a million pieces on the floor and the clattering of the metal spoon as it hit the ground. 

Jaina stared ahead in disbelief. Her once-bare counters now held various fruits and packaged snacks. Cookies, crackers, and chips were lined up neatly on the counters. Jaina stepped forward and opened the fridge to find it completely stocked and full of food. A hand flew up to her mouth as a sob broke through her. Tears immediately slid down her cheeks and she had to grip the nearby counter as her knees grew too weak to hold her up. 

There was enough food here to last her weeks. Maybe months. The emotions that hit her all at once were overwhelming. Grateful that Sylvanas would do something like this. But also upset that she’d spent what Jaina considered a small fortune on her. She slid to the floor and simply cried. 

**

_ ‘Sylvanas Windrunner.’ _

Jaina didn’t have to wonder if she was awake. She immediately received a response. In the form of a smiley with a halo emoji. 

_ ‘Thank you.’ _

_ ‘We’ll talk more tomorrow. Sweet dreams, Jaina.’ _


	6. Chapter 6

_'I’m on my way. Unlock the door for me?’_

Jaina was curled up on her couch, waiting for Sylvanas to let herself in. She’d wrapped herself up in a blanket and while she felt much better than the day before, her fever was still a persistent on and off ordeal and it seemed the cough was here to stay. She’d hoped to avoid the ordeal of a doctor’s visit but she knew that if she didn’t get seen, it would just be that much longer she couldn’t work. Even with Sylvanas’ selfless act of kindness she would simply not survive if she couldn’t go back soon.

It was several minutes until she heard a soft knock on the door followed by the tell-tale click of the door opening. Sylvanas had barely entered the room when Jaina wobbled her way over and wordlessly drew her into the tightest hug she could muster. 

“Well, hello to you too,” Sylvanas chuckled, returning Jaina’s tight embrace.”I appreciate the reception but you should be resting.” Jaina released her after a moment and simply shook her head.

“Sylvanas, I can’t even explain to you what last night meant to me. If there’s anything I can do to repay you I-”

“You can repay me by _resting_ ,” Sylvanas said, already guiding Jaina back to the couch. “There’s nothing I would love more than that.”

“I’m serious. This is too much,” Jaina complained as she allowed herself to be practically set back onto the couch and covered with her blanket again. Sylvanas only flopped down beside Jaina and let out a mighty sigh, staring up at the ceiling as she did so.

“If you ask me, it’s not enough. Please be honest with me, Jaina, is Lor paying you enough?” She’d turned to look Jaina in the eye then. “Because if he’s paying you shit I swear to g-”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Jaina said honestly. She had no reason to keep her situation from Sylvanas at this point. Hell, she saw how Jaina was living with her own eyes. She had nothing to hide. “Lor is paying me a fair amount and he’s been more than generous with hours. I’m in this situation because of myself and myself only. I promise.”

“How long have you been living like this?” Sylvanas said in a near whisper. “I knew you didn’t like to spend money ever since our lunch with my sisters but I didn’t realize what you were going through. Fuck, Jaina, I tried to make you dinner last night and there was nothing.” Sylvanas started to become almost distraught by this point and Jaina couldn’t think to do anything but pull her into a hug. She propped her chin at the top of Sylvanas’ head as she just let herself be held. “This is stupid. I shouldn’t be the one crying,” Sylvanas sniffled, a humorless laugh breaking through.

“I told you when I moved here I just chose the first flight out and ran with it, remember? It turned out that was not the most financially wise thing to do,” Jaina chuckled as she carded her fingers through soft blonde hair. “It turns out moving to a completely different country is very expensive. Especially when you don’t have a job already lined up. It was several weeks of me living in a hotel and draining my credit cards and emergency funds before I practically begged Lor’themar for a job. I’m still paying for that mistake. But it’s okay because I’m surviving and I know it won’t last forever.”

“You deserve to do more than survive though,” Sylvanas said. She’d yet to move off of Jaina and instead settled herself more into Jaina’s chest. She no doubt could hear the slight rattling of Jaina’s lungs as she took each breath. “I made you an appointment with a friend of mine for this afternoon, by the way. She has a practice not far from here.”

“Do you have friends in every profession?” Jaina laughed, which only resulted in a few small coughs. Progress.

“I might,” she shrugged, shifting so that she could move off the couch much to Jaina’s disappointment. She was comfortable, dammit. “Though I think becoming friends with your doctor becomes inevitable when you see them so often. I also did a lot of dumb shit when I was younger.”

Sylvanas had made her way into the kitchen and Jaina watched as she began to pull food out of the refrigerator and cabinets. Her chest felt warm again as she was reminded of last night. Or maybe her fever was back? Either way, she was content to watch her from her spot on the couch. She doubted Sylvanas would allow her to move regardless.

“Right, what did Alleria tell me? That you were an adrenaline junkie?” Jaina laughed a little at the memory. Sylvanas rolled her eyes as she chopped up vegetables at the island separating the kitchen from the living room.

“I suppose that’s one way to put it. I never did anything serious. The worst thing I ever did was break a couple ribs and my collar bone. That sucked. But I stopped riding dirtbikes after that. Liadrin told me she would break all my other ribs if I didn’t quit,” she grinned. “So I got rid of it and bought a motorcycle.”

“Sylvanas, that’s basically the same thing.”

“Oh, hush. Now you sound like Alleria.” Her words were followed by the sounds of sizzling. Jaina couldn’t see what she was doing from her place on the couch but whatever Sylvanas was making already smelled wonderful. “I’ll have you know I haven’t broken anything since then. And that was several years ago now.”

“Much more careful in your old age, are you?” Jaina replied sarcastically.

“Yes, actually,” Sylvanas huffed. “And maybe I actually believed Liadrin when she said she would break my other ribs.”

“And this is the doctor you want me to see?” Jaina laughed. 

“Oh, she’s the best. Don’t worry. She reserves the sub-par bedside manner just for me.”

Eventually Sylvanas finished cooking and prepared two plates, bringing both with her back to the couch. Jaina took the offered plate gratefully and looked down to see a perfectly prepared omelette complete with diced vegetables and a generous amount of cheese.

“God, this looks amazing. How has someone not married you yet?” Jaina blurted without thinking. She felt heat spread across her cheeks and suddenly her omelette was very interesting. She saw Sylvanas stiffen out of the corner of her eye and almost started to apologize for the statement. However, Sylvanas seemed to relax just as quickly.

“My mother asks me the same thing,” she chuckled, though the smile didn't seem to quite reach her eyes. “Maybe I’m just too much of an ass.” Jaina scoffed at that as she took another bite of food.

“If anything, that’s probably your best quality.”

“What?”

“What.” Jaina coughed as she’d realized what she said. Sylvanas meanwhile, had burst into uncontrollable laughter at Jaina’s expense. The poor woman was completely red as she reaped the consequences of her words.

“I’m flattered. I don’t think anyone has been so up-front about my ass before,” Sylvanas grinned. Jaina just wanted to melt into a puddle and let the ground swallow her up. She did the next best thing and covered her entire head with her blanket. 

“You are incorrigible,” Jaina groaned from underneath the blanket, her food momentarily forgotten. She heard Sylvanas gasp and she could practically picture the dramatic hand to the chest pose she was likely to be exhibiting. 

“I don’t believe this. One minute you’re telling me I’m wife material and complimenting me. The next you’re insulting me. Unbelievable.” The last word was said around a mouthful of food. Jaina peeked from behind her makeshift shield to see Sylvanas’ shoulders still shaking with laughter. 

“Oh my god, Sylvanas. I'm never speaking to you again.” Jaina laughed despite herself and continued her meal, attempting to salvage what was left of her dignity. 

“Well, at least I'm left with the knowledge that my ass is out of this world.” She grinned. 

“Shut up.” 

Sylvanas barely dodged the slice of egg that was aimed straight for the side of her head. 

**

Later that afternoon, Jaina found herself in the waiting room of a small, yet nice clinic. Sylvanas had made herself scarce, granting Jaina a bit of privacy for filling out her paperwork, by socializing with the receptionist at the front. Apparently everybody knew her well because they were practically greeted like old friends when they walked through the door. 

Sylvanas only joined her again once she'd turned in her documents up front. While this morning was certainly better, it seemed her fever was back in full force despite only coming and going earlier in the day. Somehow her cough had only gotten worse and breathing was becoming an ordeal once again. She'd thrown all awareness for personal space out the window as she practically sank into Sylvanas’ side. 

“Pretty sure I'm dying,” Jaina mumbled.

“You are not dying,” Sylvanas sighed. “We’re going to get you better.” 

“Jaina?” She jumped at the sound of her name and managed to pull herself away from Sylvanas’ side. There was a whispered ‘good luck’ from Sylvanas as she followed the cheerful nurse that had called her name. 

The usual pleasantries were exchanged as well as a description of her symptoms. Before long Jaina found herself sat in a private room where she didn't need to wait long before there was a knock on the door. 

An elven woman let herself in and gave Jaina a welcoming smile. She wore a clean, white jacket and her auburn hair was tied up neatly. A folder was tucked under one arm as she offered her free hand to shake Jaina’s. 

“Hi, Jaina. I'm Liadrin in case that wasn't obvious,” she chuckled. “What seems to be going on?” 

Jaina went through the process of listing off all her symptoms again. It was a wonder she could at this point, as just the walk to the room still had her feeling breathless. Liadrin was even kind enough to wait politely between coughing fits. 

“I thought it was just a cold or something, but I guess not,” Jaina finished with a bit of a guilty look. 

“No. I agree I don't think it's just a cold,” she said as she made some notes in what was obviously Jaina’s file. “I'm going to do some bloodwork and a chest x-ray. I have everything here so there's no need to send you anywhere else if you don't mind waiting a bit,” she offered. Jaina simply nodded in agreement. As if she had a choice at this point. 

**

All in all, the wait wasn't terribly long and the hardest part of the whole thing was holding back her coughs long enough for an x-ray to be taken. Before long, Liadrin was knocking on her door again before entering the room as she did earlier. 

“I just have some questions for you, Jaina,” she said as her gaze remained on the paperwork in her hands. The door shut behind her with a click and there was silence as Liadrin took a seat in front of her. “What's your diet like? Would you say good? Or more on the side of poor? Be honest.” 

Oh god. 

“Honestly, it's not great. I'm not in the greatest place financially and I've had to make do with what I can,” Jaina confessed. Liadrin nodded, scribbling notes here and there. Her expression was schooled into perfect neutrality where Jaina feared there would be judgement. 

“I’m gonna be completely straight with you, Jaina,” Liadrin began, her gaze settling on Jaina. “Your diagnosis from the radiographs is pneumonia. Not severe but getting there. The reason I ask about your diet is because it _is_ a bit odd for someone your age and in your state of general health to contract it at quite this level. I could only assume that your immune system is a bit compromised and your bloodwork supports that. There are some clear deficiencies so I’d like to get you on some supplements in the meantime.”

Jaina’s head was spinning. She understood what Liadrin was saying but the only thoughts going through her head was, _I can’t afford this. I cannot afford this. I can barely afford to live right now._

“Jaina?” 

Jaina’s head snapped back up and she realized she was hyperventilating. She looked up into the face of a very concerned Liadrin who had leaned forward and taken her hand gently. She never even saw her move toward her. 

“I’m sorry. I just- Liadrin, I don’t have any money to spare,” she admitted. 

“Jaina, that isn’t a problem, okay?” Liadrin said reassuringly. “You’re a friend of Sylvanas and by extension we’re all family here. We’re going to help you get better regardless of your situation.”

Jaina couldn’t speak. She simply nodded, the tears sliding freely down her cheeks. All of this felt like a dream. What could she have possibly done to deserve people like this in her life? She couldn’t recall a time when she had so many people around to support her unconditionally. Hell, all of these people barely knew her and they were willing to do so much. 

“Good. You don’t need to worry. We’ve got you,” she smiled, giving Jaina’s hand one last squeeze before leaning back and going through her files again. “I’m sending you home with antibiotics and some supplements to help get you back on track. I want you resting for the next couple days. You can go back to work once you’ve been without a fever for a full twenty-four hours, okay?”

“Understood,” Jaina managed as she struggled to get a handle on her emotions. She no doubt looked like a mess right now. 

“Good. Let me walk you out. I haven’t seen Sylvanas in a minute. Though I suppose that isn’t exactly a bad thing,” she joked. 

“She told me you threatened to break her ribs,” Jaina commented, laughing as she wiped away the remainder of her tears. 

“That is absolutely true. She was in my office enough as it was,” Liadrin sighed. They’d made it to the front by now. Jaina must have been the last appointment for the day because the waiting room was empty save for Sylvanas who perked up as soon as she saw them enter the room. She rushed over to the pair and her gaze swept over Jaina worriedly, obviously noticing her red rimmed eyes and slightly reddened face. 

“Is everything okay?” Sylvanas asked, glancing between Jaina and Liadrin for some kind of explanation.

“Well, hello to you too, Trouble,” Liadrin answered sarcastically. “Jaina is going to be just fine. Nothing a little rest and antibiotics won’t fix.”

“Hi, Liadrin.” Sylvanas rolled her eyes but pulled Liadrin into a hug anyway. She looked over at Jaina. “I hope she didn’t threaten you at all?” she teased. 

“Not at all,” Jaina laughed. “The threats definitely seem to be reserved for you.”

“Ah, aren’t I so lucky,” Sylvanas grinned. “Thank you, Liadrin.”

“Any time, Sylv. It was nice to see you anyway. Take good care of that one,” she nodded toward Jaina. 

God, there was that warm feeling again. Right in the center of her chest. She spoke up before Sylvanas had a chance to reply. 

“I don’t think I could stop her if I tried.”


	7. Chapter 7

A few days passed, and true to Liadrin’s word, Jaina felt almost 100% better. Though she really only gave the antibiotics partial credit. Sylvanas came over every single day to take care of her. She, of course, had work to do so her laptop was always within arm’s reach. This was how Jaina found out that most of what Sylvanas did was work from home while she lectured various people about their cyber security and sent various employees off to physical jobs. There was a lot of eye rolling and heavy sighs. Jaina found it extremely entertaining.

Jaina spent the better part of her time off napping on her couch in between Sylvanas experimenting with food in the kitchen. Everything was honestly perfect if she ignored the part about her being ill. 

Today, Jaina was returning to her first shift back at work since she had become sick. It was just an evening shift but she knew Lor would get her plenty of extra hours in the days to come. Hopefully.

While Jaina knew she should have been excited about returning to work, things were a bit sad today. The main reason being, she hadn’t gotten to see Sylvanas today as apparently she had a meeting downtown. Her apartment had gone from feeling like an actual home to incredibly empty and lonely in just a day and Jaina honestly wasn’t sure how to feel about that yet. The second reason for her low mood was the text she was currently staring at. She’d been excited to see Sylvanas’ name flash across the screen. The subject was another matter altogether. 

_ ‘Sorry I thought I would have time to drop by today. Work got in the way. They’re sending me to NYC in the morning for a few days :( I’ll drop in tonight at The Spire to see you before I go though! Hope you had a good day at least. Please make sure you eat something.’ _

She knew it was childish. But she didn’t want Sylvanas to go. She’d gotten so used to seeing her every day that now she felt a little spoiled. 

On second thought, maybe some time away would do her some good.

_ ‘No need to be sorry! You’ve been taking care of me all week. Hopefully you’ll have a fun trip?’ _

_ ‘I wish. Giving protection to some high and mighty government official so I’ll probably just be stuck in whatever boring meetings they’ll be having.’ _

_ ‘I dunno! That sounds like way more fun than babysitting me’ _

_ ‘The biggest difference is that I actually enjoy your company.’ _

Jaina simply shook her head and continued getting ready for work. The idea of not seeing Sylvanas hung over her head like a dark cloud, but she knew it would just be for a few days. She'd been getting on just fine on her own for months. This was nothing. 

Except it didn't feel like nothing. 

**

“Well, welcome back Miss Jaina,” Lor'themar called fondly as Jaina walked through the employee entrance. “I trust you're well after being in the care of our Sylvanas?”

“Completely back to normal,” Jaina confirmed. The statement was mostly true. She was insanely out of breath after making her usual trek to work but it certainly hadn't killed her. She'd take it. “Sylvanas is quite the healer apparently.” Jaina watched as Lor’s ears practically stood straight up at her comment. He had the stupidest grin on his face and she instantly regretted speaking to him at all. Jaina had nearly forgotten how insufferable he was when she brought up her new friend. 

“She cooked for you, didn't she?” he deadpanned. “I swear some of the dishes she makes could heal the sick instantly.” He'd followed Jaina out to the bar. He'd insisted she get more time learning to bartend. To be honest, Jaina suspected it was a ploy just so he could be nosy. 

“She did,” Jaina nodded as she watched Lor sort bottles in preparation of the evening crowd. “She's going to ruin me for all other food if she doesn't calm down,” she chuckled. 

“I'm so happy you two are getting along so well,” Lor smiled. And for once it wasn't the usual smirk that came along with discussing her and Sylvanas. It was genuine. “Between you and me, she's needed someone besides me and her sisters. She puts on a brave face for everyone but I know she's been lonely.”

“Oh?” Jaina wasn't sure what else to say to that. Sylvanas had more or less always acted so confident and sure of herself. Well, with some exceptions. She still got nervous with Jaina, but she honestly found that incredibly endearing. She never would have thought Sylvanas was unhappy. Especially not after meeting her sisters or spending time at her incredible house. She'd just assumed Sylvanas had her life together and that was that.

“Ever since her wife passed she's just been-”

Wait.

What? 

“I'm sorry, did you say wife?” Jaina cut in, still following Lor up and down the bar as he rotated their liquor stock. 

“Oh. Did she not tell you? I suppose it's not something easily brought up,” he sighed. “I'll have to apologize for that one later.”

“No. She didn't tell me. What happened?” she asked. Jaina was suddenly grateful it was a weeknight and slow as a result. 

“I think this is something you need to hear from her,” Lor’themar explained gently. “It was a long time ago. Seven or eight years ago now, I think.”

She knew he was right. This wasn't something she needed to get second hand. If Sylvanas wanted her to know she would tell her in time. However, just the thought was killing Jaina inside. To love someone so much and then suddenly lose them so soon. Well, it was something Jaina was all too familiar with. Somehow it all made sense, looking back. The way Sylvanas was so willing to comfort her when she opened up about Derek. The understanding that was so clearly there. Jaina had just been too blind to see it. 

“Sorry, you're right. She'll tell me when she's ready, I think,” Jaina conceded. 

“No, but seriously, Jaina,” Lor'themar continued. “She's been so much happier since she got to know you. Hell, she's at my bar way less now. I love the woman like she's my own sister but she needed to do more than hang around this place every evening. So thank you for giving her a chance.”

“You don't have to thank me, Lor,” Jaina smiled. “Hell, I should be thanking  _ you. _ She's an amazing friend.” 

“Friend. Right.” 

“It’s not like that, Lor’themar,” Jaina said in a sing-song voice as she poured the odd shot for a couple patrons. 

“Oh, please. I have  _ eyes _ , Jaina. You two were making heart eyes across this bar from the evening I introduced you two. I'm sure it's even worse now.” 

“I do  _ not _ have heart eyes.”

“You do realize that every time we speak about her even slightly you have the biggest love struck grin on your face, right? I mean you're doing it right now.” All Jaina could do was glare at him. She wasn't love struck. She just wasn't. Was she? 

“Wow, what'd you say to earn  _ that  _ look?” Jaina jumped in surprise as she saw Sylvanas take a seat in front of them. She was still very obviously dressed from her meeting earlier and Jaina could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. Lor'themar simply threw his hands up in mock exasperation. 

“I've done nothing. The both of you are going to make me go grey,” Lor’themar sighed. A patron waved him over then and he was swept away. But not before mumbling, “This is a thankless job.” 

“He been weird like this all night?” Sylvanas asked as Jaina set a glass of water in front of her. 

“You don't even know.” Jaina shook her head before leaning forward onto the bar. “So New York?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Sylvanas groaned. “I love my job. I really do, but some of these people are just insufferable to be around.”

“Well, maybe we can do something when you get back,” Jaina suggested. “I’d offer to cook for a change but I think my cooking may offend you.”

“I doubt it. We could make something together,” she grinned. “I can part with a few of my secrets.”

“See, now there’s something to look forward to when you get back,” Jaina proclaimed proudly before reaching under the bar and retrieving a clean glass. “Let me make you something. Lor says I need to practice and I know you’ll at least come back if it’s terrible.” Sylvanas raised one eyebrow but didn’t hesitate beyond that. Mischief was dancing plainly behind her eyes.

“Make me a Hurricane,” she said immediately. Jaina immediately gave her an exasperated look. “What? I was in New Orleans last year and they were amazing. Are you going to deny a paying customer their order?”

“Fine,” came Jaina’s sharp reply. “I’m going to make it and you’re going to like it.”

“I’m counting on that,” she winked. 

As it turned out, Jaina was not exactly proficient in cocktail making as of yet. She may have been more than generous on the light and dark rum. Just a bit. But it looked okay? Sylvanas had watched her struggle with the cocktail wearing that same smirk the entire time. She was never making a drink for Sylvanas ever again after this. At least the drink was the correct color. 

“Here. One Hurricane,” Jaina sighed as she slid the glass in front of Sylvanas.

“Can’t say I’ve ever had a bartender sigh at me upon delivering my drink before,” Sylvanas laughed. She took a sip and immediately made a face. “I think this usually calls for half as much rum. Maybe less than half,” she laughed. Jaina could hear Lor’themar laughing from the other side of the bar. He’d been less than helpful as well, much to Jaina’s annoyance. These elves were going to be the death of her. 

“You knew what you were in for when you asked me to make a cocktail with SEVEN components,” Jaina complained, throwing her hands in the air for emphasis.

“Yeah. I knew. It was enjoyable to watch all the same.”

The withering look Jaina gave her got her laughing all over again.

**

Three days passed and Jaina had to admit to herself that she missed Sylvanas. She really missed her so much it hurt. Work was a great distraction for the most part, and she’d really picked up every single shift she reasonably could work, but she still found herself watching the door every evening expecting Sylvanas to walk in at any moment. 

They texted any chance they got, which wasn’t very often thanks to timezones and jobs. They were mostly the same. Jaina asking how Sylvanas’ day was and her asking Jaina if she’d eaten that day and slept well the night before. It was nice but Jaina missed seeing her. She missed her hugs most of all which always seemed to brighten whatever mood she was in. She’d found herself wearing the shirt she “borrowed” from Sylvanas any time she was home. Definitely just because it was comfy. No other reason. 

God, she was such a mess. 

Sylvanas would be back tomorrow evening and all Jaina could think about was the conversation she’d had with Lor’themar the night before she left. Did she have feelings for Sylvanas? Possibly. She wasn’t a complete idiot. She knew she was pining like some lovestruck teenager and she didn’t know how to deal with it. There was also the complication of what Lor had revealed to her. Sylvanas had been married. Granted, it had been a long time ago but from what she understood, Sylvanas hadn’t been in a relationship since. The absolute last thing Jaina wanted to do was ruin her friendship with Sylvanas by bringing all these complicated feelings into it. 

Jaina fell asleep that evening with that aching doubt settling in her chest. And really, she should have expected a panic attack to forcefully yank her out of her slumber. She’d barely been able to shake off the images of her nightmare. Not a usual nightmare at all. No, tonight it was Sylvanas looking at her in disgust. Watching her walk away as she reached for her to no avail.  _ Abandoned. Alone again. _

Jaina fought to get her breathing under control. Her heart throbbed in her chest and she just couldn’t get it to slow down from its painful thrumming. Her autopilot was kicked into full gear as she reached for her phone and immediately tapped Sylvanas’ name.

“Jaina?” She’d answered the phone after the first ring. Jaina immediately felt a warmth spread across her chest at the sound of her voice. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m sorry,” Jaina said breathlessly. “I don’t know why I called, I just-”

“You don’t need to apologize. What’s wrong? Isn’t it the middle of the night there still?”

“I’m just being stupid,” Jaina said. It was already a little bit easier to breathe. “It was just a nightmare.” She shook her head despite herself.

“Do you want to talk about it? I have some time before I need to leave my hotel room,” Sylvanas’ voice was gentle and so incredibly calming. She almost felt compelled to confide in her right then and there. Almost.

“No. I just needed to talk to someone. I'm sorry if I bothered you. I know it's still early there.”

“What did I say about apologizing?” Sylvanas said with a slight laugh. “I told you ages ago to call me if you ever needed anything. I meant that. But regardless, while I have you on the phone, what do you want for dinner tonight? I'll be home a little late but I can pick you up on the way.” 

“Are you sure? I can't imagine the jet lag you're going to be going through when you get back. We could always wait a night so you can rest,” Jaina offered. Though in reality, she really didn't want to have to wait to see Sylvanas again.

“I can still rest after we’ve had dinner.” Jaina could almost picture the grin Sylvanas was probably wearing as she said so. “I was thinking something extra complicated since you’ll be helping this time.”

“Please no,” Jaina laughed. “Unless you want our meal to turn out as bad as your Hurricane.”

“In all fairness, I wouldn’t consider your cocktail making bad per say. In fact I would call it superior if the goal was to get plastered in the shortest amount of time possible.” Jaina rolled her eyes at the comment. “You’ll be fine. I’ll help you this time.”

“Okay, well if it turns out bad it’s your fault,” Jaina told her, failing to hide the amusement behind her words. “Are you heading to the airport soon?”

“Pretty soon. I should make it to you by nine tonight. Maybe ten. Are you working early tomorrow?” Sylvanas asked curiously. “Well, by tomorrow I mean the night after our dinner,” she added. “I hate timezones.”

“No. I’ll be home by late afternoon today and I just have an evening shift after that.”

“Perfect. I need to get going. Do you feel better now?” Sylvanas asked. Her voice turned back to its gentle lilt and Jaina found that, yes, she felt a million times better.

“More than you know,” Jaina breathed. “Thank you for distracting me.”

“Any time. Try to get some more sleep, okay? I’ll see you tonight.”

**

The rest of the day crawled which was to be expected. Despite the lack of sleep, however, it seemed as though nothing could kill Jaina’s good mood. Not even Lor’s relentless teasing about her “date” that night. She didn’t care. She was going to see her best friend tonight. 

Jaina got through her workday and spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning her apartment. The kitchen was organized and re-organized no less than twelve times. She was mostly in a cycle of pacing every room and checking her phone. She’d practically squealed when her patience had finally paid off.

_ ‘I’m outside.’ _

She had one arm through her jacket when she ran out of her apartment and locked the door. The other arm somehow made it into the other sleeve as she descended the stairs two at a time. She saw Sylvanas standing next to her car immediately in the low light and burst through the door, taking off at a dead run and practically tackling her with the tightest hug she had ever given anyone. She heard the breath get knocked out of her lungs as Sylvanas laughed at her enthusiasm, returning the hug without hesitation. 

“I take it you missed me?” she asked, the amusement showing plainly through her voice.

“Maybe a little,” Jaina mumbled into her shoulder. “Let’s get to your place. It’s freezing out here.”

“If the lady insists,” she chuckled as they disentangled themselves. 

The ride to Sylvanas’ house was filled with easy small talk. Jaina was just so happy to be back in her presence again. Sylvanas just made her feel a little less lonely and that was a feeling she was not about to take for granted again.

“So what are we cooking tonight?” Jaina asked curiously as Sylvanas let them in. Nothing seemed to have changed. Her house was still impeccably clean and absolutely beautiful. It almost felt like she never left. Well, other than the fact that Sylvanas was now tossing her bags around the living room as she made her way to the kitchen. 

“I was thinking a nice pasta. What do you think?” She was already getting dishes out of cabinets as Jaina kicked off her shoes and shrugged out of her jacket.

“Sounds good to me.” Jaina decided not to remind her that she’d promised something complicated just to torment her. That is, until she saw Sylvanas getting out eggs, flour, and sharp knives. “What’s all that for?”

“For making the pasta noodles?” 

Goddammit. 

“I should have known you weren’t the type to use boxed noodles,” Jaina laughed, making her way over to the counter to stand next to Sylvanas. “What would you like me to do?” 

“Here,” she poured a neat pile of flour in front of Jaina. “I’ll make a pile for each of us. Just do what I do. It’s easy.” Sylvanas reached for an egg and expertly cracked it with one hand, allowing the contents to fall into a divet made into the center of the flour. She repeated the actions for another pile for herself. “Okay, so just mix them together like this…”

Jaina tried to mimic Sylvanas the best she could, and for the most part she seemed to do alright. Her flour pile definitely looked like normal dough by the end. Sylvanas showed her the proper thickness to form it into and simply let her cut out her noodles any way she wanted. They most certainly did not turn out as nice and even as Sylvanas’ but they were certainly edible looking. 

“See! Easy,” Sylvanas proclaimed proudly. 

“I can’t believe you have the energy for this,” Jaina laughed as she watched Sylvanas toss their creation into boiling water before washing their hands.

“I find it calming,” Sylvanas said. “I used to just spend whole days cooking and send most of it to my sisters or my mother. It sort of turned into a hobby,” she chuckled. 

“That’s so wholesome, Sylvanas.”

“What can I say? I  _ am  _ the favorite daughter,” she smirked. 

“Right, right,” Jaina chuckled. “I’m sure neither of your sisters would disagree with that sentiment.” 

“Absolutely not,” Sylvanas nodded as she finished up the pasta. She’d absentmindedly been adding different herbs and other things Jaina had no hope to identify off-hand. All she knew was that it smelled amazing. 

Before long, they were both seated across from one another at the kitchen island. Sylvanas plated Jaina’s pasta and slid it in front of her before doing the same for herself. And yeah, her assumptions were correct. The pasta was fucking amazing. 

“Holy shit, Sylvanas,” Jaina said with her mouth still full. Sylvanas only grinned happily as she tucked into her own meal. 

Things were mostly silent beyond that as they ate. Yes, the food was amazing, but Jaina’s mind began to drift back to earlier thoughts. She had a lot of feelings. She just didn’t know how to reasonably sort them out in a way that made sense to her, let alone how to speak to Sylvanas about them. She was terrified, but if she didn’t talk about it, she feared she would be crushed by the sheer pressure of it all. 

“You okay?” Sylvanas’ voice broke her out of her endlessly swirling thoughts. “You’ve been twirling the same noodle around for a really long time.” She looked up to see Sylvanas staring at her worriedly. Oh fuck. She was going to break.

“Can I ask you something? Something personal?” she spoke up before she had a chance to avoid the subject all together. She played with her food absentmindedly, channeling all her nervous energy through her hands. 

“Of course,” Sylvanas answered without even a hint of hesitation. “You can ask me anything.” She looked back down at her plate to casually prepare another bite.

“Lor’themar mentioned the other day that you were married before,” Jaina started hesitantly. She saw Sylvanas pause her movements briefly before abandoning her food all together and sliding her plate away. 

“I was,” she answered evenly, now looking Jaina in the eye, her expression unreadable. 

“Would you tell me about her?” Jaina asked. Her voice was plainly timid. She felt like she was walking on glass right at this moment and she simply prayed that she wasn’t out of line. “You don’t have to if it’s not a subject you feel comfortable telling me about.” She saw one side of Sylvanas’ mouth quirk up slightly.

“Jaina, I am more than at peace with what happened. I meant it when I said you can ask me anything. Don’t worry.” Her voice was reassuring and that at least took out most of the tension Jaina hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. “Give me just a second. Go sit on the couch. I just need to go grab something from upstairs.”

Jaina did as Sylvanas asked and made herself comfortable on the couch. She pulled the soft throw blanket that was draped on the back and covered herself up with it as she settled in. Sylvanas was only gone for a few minutes before she heard her coming back down the stairs. She settled down right next to Jaina and handed her a large photo album. It was a simple design with a black leather exterior. Sylvanas reached over to open the cover and on the first page was a wedding photo. There was a much younger Sylvanas in a simple white dress next to another elven woman. She was beautiful. That much was obvious to Jaina. Her hair was dark and she had green eyes that contrasted with Sylvanas’ grey. She wore a bright, happy smile that was plainly mirrored in Sylvanas’ expression. The photo itself was taken outdoors and they both looked so incredibly happy. Jaina couldn’t help but smile down at the photo herself.

“Her name was Alayna,” Sylvanas said quietly. “We got together when we were both just starting high school and got married when we were eighteen. I’m surprised I didn’t give my mother a stroke growing up,” she chuckled. 

“She was beautiful,” Jaina said.

“I thought so too,” Sylvanas smiled. She continued turning the pages where there were various pictures of Sylvanas and Alayna. There were quite a few with her sisters and mother as well. “We were married for about a year and one day she got very sick. It sort of came out of nowhere. But, I suppose looking back, we should have known something was amiss.”

“What happened?” Jaina turned to look at Sylvanas and saw the deep frown etched into her face. She had a faraway look in her eyes as she recalled the memory.

“We waited for her to get better, and when she didn’t we made an appointment. Liadrin was her doctor. That’s how we met. After a ton of testing it turned out she had leukemia.” 

Jaina’s heart and stomach plummeted at those words. Wordlessly, she shifted so that one arm was draped across Sylvanas’ shoulders and she pulled her in tightly, hoping to provide some sort of comfort. 

“Her prognosis wasn't great. But Liadrin wanted to try if it meant even the chance of her getting through it. We both agreed but I think Alayna knew, deep down, that it wouldn't work. I was with her at every doctor’s appointment and things just kept getting worse. At some point I just knew she was going through the treatments just for my sake. She'd eventually gotten so weak from the illness and the aggressive treatments that she spent most of her time sleeping. We agreed it would be best to stop the treatments. Liadrin oversaw her hospice care and I was with them every second of every day at that point.” 

Sylvanas spoke evenly as she recounted everything. Jaina simply sat there, the photo album was now set to the side and she had both arms around Sylvanas who had returned the embrace and held onto her tightly. Jaina had tears flowing down her cheeks uninhibited as she listened. 

“She passed in her sleep eight months after her diagnosis. We'd spoken in length months before and we both agreed we wouldn't take any photos for that final year. She didn't want me to remember her as sickly. Though, for a long time it was hard not to. I struggled for a long time. I'm sure that's what Lor was talking about when he mentioned it to you. She passed almost eight years ago now and I'd say it was quite a handful of years before I felt like I could truly function again.” Her voice was almost a whisper now and Jaina had to almost strain to hear her. 

“He told me he thought you were lonely,” Jaina managed to say, though her throat felt thick with tears. She felt Sylvanas shake in her arms with quiet laughter. 

“Maybe I was,” she agreed. “I'm not now though.” Jaina felt fingers card their way through her hair and she sighed contentedly, leaning into the touch. 

“Can I ask you something else?” Jaina asked.

“Of course.”

“Does it ever get better? I spent so long trying not to think of Derek. But I find myself sometimes reaching for the phone to call him still. Or expecting him to walk in any minute.”

Sylvanas was quiet for a long time as she thought about her answer. Her fingers never stopped her ministrations through Jaina’s hair and she took a deep breath before she finally spoke. 

“It does. But I can't say that feeling ever really goes away for good. I just had to take it one day at a time. It's different for everyone, I think.” She'd tilted her head so that her cheek rested just at the top of Jaina’s head. “I told you I struggled for a long time to not focus on all the bad at the end. I just had to try to keep all the good memories I had at the forefront. Alleria suggested I make the photo album and that helped. I tried to remember mundane things like how much she loved flowers and what her favorite foods were. I was making her favorites a lot,” she chuckled a bit at the end. 

“Thank you for telling me all this,” Jaina whispered.

“Thank you for not being afraid to ask me,” Sylvanas returned. “Lor was right. I was lonely and I didn't know how to deal with it. I'm getting better though.”

“I'm glad things are better for you. I know you tell me the same all the time but if you ever need to talk…”

“I know. Thank you, Jaina.” 

They sat together silently, still wrapped up in each other. This was a normal thing friends do, right? Jaina had to try not to think too much on it. That was when it struck her that it was incredibly late. She had no idea how Sylvanas was still conscious. 

“I should probably get home…” she started. 

“Don't be silly,” Sylvanas gave her one last squeeze before regrettably moving away. “You can stay here. I have more clothes you can borrow and my bed is more than big enough. I can take you back home tomorrow before you have to go in to work,” she offered. Jaina found that she had no interest in trying to turn her down.

“In that case I'd like to head to bed. And I think you're in dire need of rest as well,” she added. 

With that settled, Sylvanas led her upstairs and into her bedroom. She'd managed to find Jaina another comfortable outfit to wear and they each turned their backs to one another as they both quickly changed. Jaina was the first to crawl into bed with Sylvanas not far behind after turning off the lights.

“Goodnight, Jaina,” Sylvanas yawned and she settled in.

“Goodnight,” Jaina answered. There was only the quiet sound of their breathing as both women attempted to fall asleep. Jaina stared ahead into the darkness for what felt like forever before summoning one last bit of courage. 

“Sylvanas?” she whispered, unsure if the other woman had fallen asleep yet. 

“Mm?”

“One more question,” she said quietly. She'd turned over so that she was facing Sylvanas. There was no answer but she saw the slight glow as Sylvanas just barely opened her eyes. “Can I hold you?” 

No verbal answer came, and for a second she wondered if Sylvanas hadn't heard her. Or maybe she'd caught her in a barely conscious state. Just as she was about to turn back over, she felt a shift followed by warmth as Sylvanas pressed closer to her. The scent of lavender filled her senses and she draped one arm over Sylvanas’ waist. She heard the elf let out a sigh as she melted into her and draped one arm over Jaina’s. Sylvanas tucked her head under Jaina’s chin and nothing else was said that night. Nothing else needed to be said. The last thing Jaina remembered thinking before sleep took her was that, yes,  _ this  _ was the most perfect moment of her life thus far and she never wanted it to end.


	8. Chapter 8

_ ‘So what's your opinion on Christmas?’ _

  
  


Jaina raised an eyebrow as she looked down at the text that had popped up on her phone. She’d just finished a day shift at work and was currently making her way home. It’d been a week since the night Jaina stayed the night with Sylvanas and she’d started making a habit of texting her random questions like this. What was her favorite color? Her favorite subject in school? And now apparently her opinion on major holidays was extremely important. Jaina shook her head in amusement as she typed out a reply. 

_ ‘I think it’s a highly commercialized excuse for people to spend ridiculous amounts of money on their loved ones just to somehow prove how much they love them. And people just want to find an excuse to argue with each other over the reason they even celebrate it. It’s annoying. But also I fucking love Christmas.’ _

It was true. She did love Christmas despite the obvious flaws she saw with it. She loved the lights and the music, and how happy people usually seemed to be around this time. As kids, she and Derek spent so much time lying under the Christmas tree just to stare up through it, marveling at the twinkling lights. It was one of Jaina’s favorite memories and she felt her heart twinge as she thought back.

_ ‘I can’t figure out if that means you’d enjoy coming to my place to help me decorate or not. I can’t say I expected such a contradictory response. Circle Yes or No?’ _

Jaina let out a laugh as she continued to walk, the painful memories now pushed to the back of her mind. She’d been so worried the morning after she’d slept in Sylvanas’ bed. That she’d somehow made it weird and things would be awkward between them. But they went on as normal. If anything, they’d gotten closer since their talk though Jaina was not any less confused about her feelings toward Sylvanas, nor any less hesitant about speaking to her about those feelings like a normal adult.

_ ‘I would love to. I should be home in about twenty minutes or so? I’ll leave the door unlocked if you want to just come up when you get here. I need to shower off the smell of bar food before we go.’ _

Jaina received a thumbs up emoji before pocketing her phone and rubbing her hands together to hopefully get feeling back in her fingertips. God, she couldn’t wait for spring. 

**

Jaina had just gotten out of the shower when she heard the front door open. She’d never dried and gotten herself dressed so quickly before in her life. Her hair was still dripping when she opened the door to greet Sylvanas, who had simply made herself comfortable lounging on the couch. Jaina couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight.

“Well, you look comfortable,” she commented, crossing her arms across her chest where she stood staring down at Sylvanas. 

The elf in question was lying on the couch in an oversized hoodie, the hood pulled over her head and almost covering her eyes as if she was getting ready for a nap. Jaina would have thought she was actually asleep had it not been for the fact that she lifted her arms up toward Jaina, silently requesting help with sitting up. 

“It’s been a day,” Sylvanas answered as she allowed herself to be pulled up into a sitting position. “Been pulling decorations out of storage all day. I get the honor of hosting family Christmas this year so I actually have to make an effort,” she pouted. 

“Ah, so you were hoping I would rescue you from having to do it yourself. I see now,” Jaina chuckled.

“Well, maybe that but I might also sort of enjoy your company,” she teased. “You’re much nicer to me than my sisters most days.”

“Right, right and I’m sure you don’t throw it right back at them.”

“I plead the fifth.”

***

When they pulled up in front of Sylvanas’ house that evening, Jaina couldn't help but laugh at how comical everything looked. Sylvanas had left her golf cart parked outside, still loaded down with a few boxes labeled ‘X-Mas’ and several other boxes left on her porch in no apparent method of organization. One of them looked like it had failed under the weight of its contents as string lights spilled out of one side. 

“Okay, you really needed help,” Jaina laughed as Sylvanas let out a groan, her head falling forward against the steering wheel. 

“The outdoor stuff can wait. I just really need to get the tree up and start decorating inside,” she sighed. “I don't usually bring it all out but my nephews are at such a fun age for it all. Ugh, I have so many regrets up to this point.”

“Well, we better get started then.” Jaina was already opening the passenger door and making her way to the pile of boxes on the porch. Sylvanas cut the engine and soon followed behind. 

While Sylvanas got the front door unlocked and opened, Jaina started dragging a box that was suspiciously tree sized through the door. She could hear Sylvanas laughing behind her as she herself started bringing other boxes in, with much less obvious struggle.

“You could at least  _ try  _ to hide the fact you're laughing at me,” Jaina huffed. “I can't help that I'm long out of shape these days.”

“We can fix that, you know,” Sylvanas replied as they managed to get most of the boxes in the middle of the living room. “You could go running with me in the mornings.”

“I won't be doing that,” Jaina deadpanned. 

Sylvanas simply shrugged and got to work pulling the tree out of its box with Jaina’s assistance. The actual tree assembly was pretty simple and before long they had the tree standing proudly in the corner of the room. 

The lights were a completely different monster all together. It seemed that despite Sylvanas’ insistence that she’d rolled them all up neatly, they had magically decided to tangle up into one huge knotted mess. So Jaina plopped herself onto the middle of the floor and got to work untangling the lights while Sylvanas announced she would make them some cookies while Jaina fought the string light monster. It was all painfully domestic and Jaina found that she was enjoying herself way more than she thought possible for someone that was just untangling lights. Or maybe it was the humming coming from the kitchen as Sylvanas got to work mixing ingredients as the oven heated up.

“Okay, the timer’s set,” Sylvanas announced as she eventually made her way back to the living room. “How goes the lights?”

“Done!” Jaina exclaimed proudly, holding a section of the lights above her head. “I think we can finally decorate the tree.”

The lights were not a problem as far as getting them on the actual tree went. Before long it was lit up in sparkling rainbow colors and Sylvanas then produced the largest box of ornaments she had ever seen in her life.

“I…. don’t think all of these are doing to fit on the tree,” Jaina laughed as she looked through the, admittedly impressive collection. Most of the ornaments were of various cartoon characters and superheroes. 

“We can try,” Sylvanas shrugged and she picked up an adorable unicorn ornament. “Vereesa always appreciates how distracting they are for the boys. They’ll sit here for hours and point out their favorites.”

“That is seriously adorable.” 

They got to work hanging each ornament and, while Jaina thought she was doing a good job, she noticed that Sylvanas was subtly going behind her and moving ornaments she had placed to other areas of the tree. She fought back a smirk and started to place ornaments in purposely shitty places only to watch Sylvanas look increasingly more frustrated as she moved ornaments around. A laugh escaped her lips after several minutes of this happening.

“You’re doing this shit on purpose, aren’t you?” Sylvanas accused, letting out the mightiest of sighs.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jaina replied, all innocence and honeyed words. “I’m just helping you decorate your tree, Sylvanas. I’m absolutely offended that you would think I was doing a terrible job.” She said all this while she placed a cluster of ornaments way too close to each other. Sylvanas rolled her eyes at the act and simply continued hanging ornaments and ‘fixing’ those that Jaina had put on herself. Though, despite the shenanigans, the tree decorating was finished all too soon for Jaina’s liking.

“Okay, I have one more thing,” Sylvanas announced. She picked up a smaller box and revealed a handful of stockings inside. “We just need to hang the stockings on the fireplace for now. The cookies should be done soon and then we can hang more lights and the ridiculous amounts of garland I have for the staircase.”

“Sure,” Jaina answered as she grabbed the first stocking on the pile. They each had names written on them in glitter and the first one she saw simply said ‘Galadin.’ She was pretty sure that was one of Vereesa’s twins and made a mental note to make sure she remembered names. With the first hung up, Jaina reached back to grab the next one and the name written on it made her freeze. 

Written very elegantly in rainbow glitter on the stocking was the name, ‘Jaina.’ It was very obviously much newer than the others and before she could stop them, tears blurred Jaina’s vision.

“Sylvanas,” Jaina’s voice cracked with unshed tears. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from her own name as she felt strong arms wrap around her and pull her into a tight hug. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Sylvanas chuckled into her hair. “I thought this would be a more creative way to invite you to spend Christmas with all of us. You don’t have to, of course. But the offer is there.”

Jaina felt so overwhelmed with emotion she hardly knew what to even say. All she knew to do was throw her arms around Sylvanas and let the tears fall.

“At this point it feels like making me cry is your goal,” she laughed a little through the tears. 

“I promise it isn’t,” Sylvanas said quietly.

“I would love to be with you guys on Christmas if your family is okay with that,” Jaina said as she pulled away from Sylvanas. She quickly wiped away her tears as she got a handle on herself. Sylvanas scoffed in response. 

“My mother will be thrilled to have another person coddle,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Honestly, I think they’ll all love you and I  _ want  _ you to be there regardless.”

“Okay,” Jaina replied, looking back down at the stocking in her hands. It honestly felt like the best gift she could have possibly gotten and she struggled with the idea of putting it down. However she simply walked forward and hung it up in its place above the fireplace. “I’d love to come then.”

“Good,” Sylvanas smiled before finishing up with hanging all eight stockings across the mantle of the fireplace. “Now, what next….” she whispered, mostly to herself.

“Actually, I have sort of a weird request,” Jaina spoke up. “Can you come with me over here?” she asked even as she took Sylvanas’ hand and led her back to the tree. 

“Sure, whatever you want,” Sylvanas replied easily. Jaina pulled her down so that they were both sitting with their backs to the tree.

“Derek and I used to lie down under the tree and look up at the lights. It sounds stupid now that I say it out loud but it’s one of my favorite memories.”

Even as Jaina explained it, Sylvanas was already scooting herself underneath the large tree like she described. Jaina followed suit and soon they were both gazing up at the twinkling lights above them, shoulder to shoulder.

“Okay, you’re right. I like this,” Sylvanas said. Though, Jaina hardly heard her over the deafening nostalgia she felt at that moment. The lights were so oddly mesmerizing and Jaina couldn’t recall the last time she had done this. It felt so childish and yet she was loving every second.

“Isn’t it pretty?” Jaina said, only slightly above a whisper.

“Beautiful,” Sylvanas breathed. Jaina turned her head to find Sylvanas already gazing at her. The lights from above shone brightly as they reflected slightly in her hair and across her skin. Jaina found herself at a loss as she gazed back at Sylvanas and for a few moments, the intensity behind that gaze never wavered. Before Jaina realized what she was doing, she found herself moving closer to her. Their noses barely brushing together, when all of a sudden a loud, harsh beeping snapped her out of her reverie. She jumped as if she’d been bitten and unfortunately, her reflexes did not take the tree above her into account. Before she knew it, her head hit the tree and the entire thing came toppling over. The sound of ornaments breaking was deafening.

As deafening as the sound of Sylvanas laughing hysterically next to her.

Jaina looked over in horror as she watched Sylvanas basically lose her shit on the floor where the tree once stood. Both her hands covered her face. 

“Oh my god, Sylvanas, I’m so sorry,” Jaina apologized desperately, hoping she didn’t manage to break every single ornament. She huffed a little when Sylvanas’ laughter didn’t let up and she made no move to help pick up the tree. “Okay, it’s not that funny,” she whined.

“Yes it is,” Sylvanas said behind her hands, laughter emphasizing every word. 

“Come on, help me clean this up,” Jaina laughed despite herself. 

“Hold on, these cookies are going to burn,” Sylvanas said, trying to catch her breath as she rolled into a sitting position. Her face was completely red and Jaina could have sworn she saw tears at the corner of her eyes before she got up and made her way into the kitchen.

Jaina simply sighed and picked the tree up. Much to her relief, it looked like only a handful of ornaments were broken. They could easily be replaced by the dozens still left in the box. Jaina only hoped that none of those held any sentimental value. Though judging by Sylvanas’ reaction she was guessing they didn’t.

“How many cookies do you want?” Sylvanas yelled from the kitchen. Jaina had just finished cleaning up the broken remnants of what used to be a Mickey Mouse.

“Uhh, surprise me?” Jaina answered back as she made her way into the kitchen herself. She tossed the broken shards into the trash and walked over to find a plate with no less than half a dozen cookies waiting for her. She raised an eyebrow at Sylvanas who simply shrugged.

“You said to surprise you,” she said nonchalantly as she broke an obviously still too hot cookie for herself in the process.

“Consider me surprised,” Jaina laughed, taking a seat at the kitchen island. “I’m really sorry about the tree.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” Sylvanas chuckled. “It was an accident. And I found it quite hilarious.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Jaina said, rolling her eyes. Though, she couldn’t help but think about what had almost happened.  _ Stupid,  _ she thought. That oven timer may have saved her entire friendship with Sylvanas. She’d take that at the cost of breaking a few ornaments. Of the things she needed to prioritize, getting a hold of herself was definitely near the top at this point. Though, as she watched Sylvanas methodically place the rest of the cookies she’d baked on a cooling rack, humming to herself once again, she really had to wonder how long she could keep this up. How long before it all became too much. How long before it would be unavoidable to talk to Sylvanas like a fucking adult.

God, she was in so much trouble.


	9. Chapter 9

“I think I’m gonna have some wine. You want some?” Sylvanas asked, already reaching up into the cabinet with half a cookie still in her mouth. 

“Sure. Whatever you’re having would be great,” Jaina answered. In reality, Jaina was just hoping some wine would calm her nerves. Sylvanas was mercifully acting like nothing had happened just a few minutes ago but there was no way she hadn’t noticed. 

A glass of white wine was set in front of her and she immediately lifted the glass and started sipping, unbelievably thankful for the distraction.

“So I was thinking,” Sylvanas started in between sips of wine as she leaned over the island. “Since the tree is basically done the hardest indoor thing would be the garland. I usually like to wrap a bunch between the banisters and put lights around those. If you can help me get that done I think that would be enough for tonight. I can probably get most of the outdoor stuff tomorrow.”

“Sure,” Jaina tried to say nonchalantly, though her voice sounded a little too high pitched to her own ears. 

“Alright, cool. I’m gonna get started then,” Sylvanas said, making her way around the island, glass of wine in hand. “No rush though. I made a lot of cookies so please feel free. And I seriously appreciate your help tonight. You have no idea what a lifesaver you were.” She said this as she walked next to where Jaina was still sitting. She’d expected her to simply walk by but was startled when Sylvanas nonchalantly leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Jaina’s cheek. She’d barely realized what had happened when Sylvanas was already making her way out of the kitchen without another word.

Heat immediately engulfed Jaina’s face as she sat there, short-circuiting in Sylvanas’ kitchen. The spot on her cheek where Sylvanas’ lips had been for just a moment was practically tingling and Jaina was pretty sure this woman was going to kill her. 

“Holy fuck,” she whispered to herself before downing the rest of her wine. She wasn’t going to survive. They needed to talk. If only she wasn’t such a coward. 

After regaining at least a fraction of her composure, Jaina stood and made her way to the living room where she could already hear Sylvanas humming. She was greeted with the sight of the elf in question unpacking what seemed to be many yards of dark green garland and spreading it all out across the floor.

“So, I think if we each take a section and just start at opposite ends that will work best,” Sylvanas said without even looking up.

“Got it,” Jaina answered, picking up her own length of garland and starting at the bottom of the stairs, weaving it in and out of the banisters. Maybe this would be a fine distraction from her  _ feelings _ at least.

She saw Sylvanas pick up her own garland and make her way up to the top of the stairs, starting at the railing along the top. This went on for several minutes, and despite Jaina thinking this would be an acceptable distraction, she was so incredibly wrong. She found herself glancing up at Sylvanas every so often. Too often to really not be obvious about it. Their eyes met multiple times and Jaina found herself averting her gaze much too quickly. She just couldn’t stop. She couldn’t get the image of Sylvanas under those lights out of her head. She couldn’t stop thinking about how close they had been. How beautiful Sylvanas was. Or how perfect that moment could have been in another timeline. 

“You okay?” Sylvanas asked after what was probably the eighth time of catching Jaina looking at her. Sylvanas’ ears drooped considerably as she looked down the stairs at her worriedly. 

“Yeah… Yeah, everything’s fine,” Jaina said lamely. What was she supposed to say?  _ ‘I tried to kiss you and I’m still losing my mind over it.’  _ Absolutely not. Her gaze dropped back down to her hands as they worked but soon snapped back up when she heard Sylvanas let out a sigh.

“Okay,” she said suddenly, dropping the garland she was holding completely and standing up. “We need to talk.”

Panic shot through Jaina’s chest as Sylvanas made her way down the stairs and took her by the hand, leading her over to the threshold where the living room met the kitchen and a hallway that led to the restroom and other spare rooms. Sylvanas’ brows furrowed and she looked at Jaina intensely for a moment.

“Jaina, I swear, if you won’t do it then I will,” Sylvanas said firmly. Her gaze then flicked from Jaina’s face to a space just above them. 

“Wha-” Jaina started to speak as she followed her gaze upward. She tilted her head up to see a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling, just behind the threshold so that it wasn’t very noticeable at all.  _ Wait. _

Then she felt it. Two hands on either side of her face that gently turned her gaze back down to the elf in front of her. Sylvanas’ eyes flickered slightly as she searched Jaina’s face for any sign of permission.

“Can I kiss you?” Sylvanas finally asked. 

Jaina simultaneously felt her heart soar and her stomach flip with nerves. She didn’t know what to say. She’d found herself absolutely speechless in that moment, though Sylvanas waited patiently for an answer. Her hands had dropped from Jaina’s face and moved to hold both her hands. She felt them squeeze hers in gentle encouragement, and to be honest, Jaina really didn’t feel the need to say anything at that moment.

Instead, she stepped forward and leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. There was the gentle brush of their noses and Jaina closed her eyes then, committing this very moment to memory. Sylvanas hadn’t moved but she could feel anticipation pouring off of her in waves. She had no doubt the elf could probably feel the same of her. 

“Jaina…” Her name fell from Sylvanas’ lips after a moment. It was quiet, barely a whisper but the raw emotion was there. They were so close Jaina  _ felt  _ her name spoken against her own lips. She knew the silent question was there. And who was she to deny Sylvanas of anything?

Jaina took the leap and closed the distance between them. Aside from the raw electricity she felt at the touch, the only other thing she noticed was how  _ soft  _ Sylvanas was, how gentle she was being with her. There was no rush and there was certainly no pressure for anything more that Jaina had grown accustomed to expect in the past. 

She was certain she would have fallen had Sylvanas’s arms not moved to embrace around her waist. Her knees weekend as she pulled back slightly and regrettably broke the kiss. Though, Sylvanas did chase her forward to press a few gentle kisses to the corner of her mouth and then her cheek. Jaina was already smiling before Sylvanas did eventually pull away herself. 

“I feel like an idiot,” Jaina admitted with a slight laugh. Her cheeks were already burning with another blush as Sylvanas continued to hold her close. The elf simply pulled her in impossibly tighter and buried her face into Jaina’s neck.

“I was really hoping I wasn't wrong,” Sylvanas mumbled before finally releasing Jaina. “This would have been really awkward otherwise.”

“I wasn't exactly being subtle earlier,” Jaina said with a shy smile, her gaze dropped though Sylvanas was quick to redirect her gaze back up with a gentle touch to her chin. She leaned forward and pressed another soft, yet brief, kiss to Jaina’s lips.

“No, but you look damn cute when you blush regardless,” Sylvanas winked. “And I'd like to think I'm a pretty patient person but I've honestly been wanting to do that for ages.” 

Jaina shook her head at that. 

“Honestly, I found it a little hard to believe you might be interested in someone like me,” Jaina admitted. 

“What?” Sylvanas frowned, a genuine look of hurt crossed her face for a moment. “How could I not?” she asked, tucking a lock of hair behind Jaina’s ear. 

“I just- I’m just me, Sylvanas.”

“Yes, and you're also beautiful and unendingly brave and strong,” Sylvanas finished. “And I have no problem reminding you as often as it takes to get you to believe it.”

“Can I kiss you again?” Jaina asked then, her heart heavy with pure emotion.

“Jaina, trust me when I say you do not have to ask.”

“You might regret that,” Jaina joked before leaning in once again to capture Sylvanas’ lips in hers. 

“Hmm, I don't think I will,” Sylvanas mumbled against her lips, forcing the kiss to break as she smiled uncontrollably. 

It already felt so easy and natural. Kissing Sylvanas. Jaina most certainly regretted that they had not been doing this sooner. 

“We should probably actually finish getting these decorations up. As wonderful as this is,” Jaina said, ever the epitome of responsibility. 

“I suppose you're right,” Sylvanas sighed. She pressed one last kiss to Jaina’s cheek before taking her hand and leading her back to the living room. “Do you work tomorrow?” she asked offhandedly as they got back to weaving garland.

“No, I couldn't get an extra shift so I'm off tomorrow,” Jaina answered. In reality she'd been dreading tomorrow. A day to herself sounded like hell right now and, while things were somewhat better these days, Jaina still struggled the most on days where she was alone with her thoughts. 

“Do you want to stay the night and hang out here tomorrow?” Sylvanas offered. “No pressure, if you had plans or something. I'll mostly be working during the day but it'll be a little less lonely,” she chuckled at herself a little as she finished up her end. 

“I’d love to,” Jaina smiled. “I think less lonely is just what I need to be honest.”

Sylvanas continued talking as she busied herself with more decorations. At this point Jaina was simply sitting on the stairs, watching her. 

“And you're obviously welcome here any time,” she rambled. “I'm not exactly within easy walking distance but if you ever want me to pick you up just tell me. Or I can get you a ride. You're seriously welcome here any time,” she finished in a serious tone. 

Sylvanas’ comment made her glance over at the fireplace where the stocking with Jaina’s name on it hung proudly on the mantle. Right in between Sylvanas and Alleria. And to be honest, that sight just reassured her that she really  _ was  _ welcome here. Sylvanas didn't merely tolerate her or feel sorry for her. She genuinely cared for her and Jaina knew without a doubt that she felt the same. 

***

It was well into late evening when both women decided to call it a night. The living room was transformed into something that appeared straight out of a story book. It was all sparkling lights and soft glows. It was beautiful. 

Jaina waited for Sylvanas in her bedroom as the elf finished turning out lights downstairs. She'd changed into more borrowed clothes and brushed her teeth with the extra toothbrush Sylvanas now kept solely for her before settling into the bed. 

While she listened to the sounds of Sylvanas still walking around downstairs, obviously tidying up a bit before bed, Jaina suddenly heard her phone vibrate against the nightstand where she'd set it. She learned over from her place on the bed and glanced curiously at the screen, expecting maybe a call from Lor asking for her to fill a shift last minute. It wouldn't have been completely out of the ordinary and he and Sylvanas were really the only two people that contacted her ever.

However, she stiffened as she read the screen. There was no name displaying as the number didn't exist in her contacts. What startled Jaina was the area code attached to the number. It certainly was not one that existed in this country. In fact, a chill ran down her spine as she immediately recognized it as a Georgia area code. How could she not recognize something so familiar?

She declined the call immediately, not bothering to even let it ring. A sort of numbness washed over her then and she felt the blood drain from her face. She didn't know what to think. What to feel. It could have been a huge coincidence but how could it be? Why would someone be trying to reach her from home? No, former home. Especially after several months of zero contact. It just didn't make any sense. 

Jaina jumped a little as she heard the bedroom door open. Sylvanas’ footfalls were nearly silent against the soft carpet.

“You okay?” Sylvanas asked, obviously taking in Jaina’s frozen expression. She'd made her way over to the bed and sat beside her, resting a hand against Jaina’s lower back and rubbing gentle circles around her spine. “You look like you've seen a ghost,” she said jokingly in an attempt to ease the obvious tension rolling off Jaina. 

Jaina honestly felt like she had seen a ghost.

“Yeah, I'm okay,” Jaina lied, shaking her head. She set her phone back down and leaned into Sylvanas’ side, allowing herself to be calmed by her presence. “Just a little tired, I guess,” she mumbled. 

“Okay,” she said before pressing her lips against Jaina’s temple. “You get comfortable while I get ready for bed. I'll be back in a minute.”

Jaina watched Sylvanas make her way into the ensuite before crawling under the down comforter and settling in. She attempted to distract herself by listening to Sylvanas behind the bathroom door as she brushed her teeth and washed up. Tough her mind simply kept tugging itself back to that stupid phone call and she found it difficult to really stay calm. Her chest hurt and her heart throbbed painfully within it. 

When Sylvanas emerged again, she shut off the light and crawled into bed beside Jaina. She’d reached over and draped her arm over Jaina’s waist, moving herself as close as she could.

“You sure you're okay?” Sylvanas whispered. 

“Yeah, just need some sleep I think,” Jaina whispered back, hugging Sylvanas close to her in turn. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against the elf’s once again that night, already feeling a small fraction of her stress dissipate when Sylvanas returned the kiss easily. 

“I have a question for you and then I promise I'll let you sleep,” Sylvanas asked as soon as they broke apart. 

“Hmm? What is it?” Jaina asked curiously. She couldn't see much in the dim light save for the soft glow of Sylvanas’ eyes. 

“Would you be okay with me taking you out tomorrow night? Like to dinner?”

“Like a date?” Jaina asked with a wide smile.

“Maybe.” Jaina didn't need to be able to see to know that Sylvanas was smirking. She could hear it plainly in her voice. 

“Well, in that case I will accept your offer of a date,” Jaina attempted to say seriously, though her slight laugh at the end ruined the effect a bit. 

“I look forward to being graced with your company, Miss Proudmoore.”

“Ridiculous,” Jaina chuckled. “Good night, Sylvanas,” she said as she buried her face into the crook of Sylvanas’ neck.

“Sweet dreams, Jaina.”


	10. Chapter 10

Jaina awoke the next morning oddly well-rested and more than comfortable. Memories of the night before came flooding back and she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she thought of how sweet Sylvanas had been. 

She shifted herself back a bit, hoping to make some kind of contact with the elf, but when she was only met with empty space it occurred to her that the sound of Sylvanas’ breathing was non-existent. Jaina lifted herself up and immediately spotted a note placed right on top of her phone. 

_ ‘Went for a run. Help yourself to anything you need. I shouldn’t be gone long.” _

The note ended with a small heart and despite how insignificant it probably was, Jaina’s heart fluttered. Sylvanas made her feel like a damn love struck teenager and she honestly couldn't find anything wrong with that. 

Jaina picked up her phone to make sure Lor didn't actually need her today and found no new notifications. Just the old one from the night before letting her know she had missed a call. She swiped it away and dismissed it without another thought. She wasn't going to let her bullshit past ruin her day. Not today.

Getting up and dressed for the day was a serious consideration. However, in the end, Jaina decided that burying herself back under the blankets was extremely preferable. Especially when the scent of Sylvanas' shampoo was still so present on the pillows they had shared. 

She laid there for a decent amount of time. Almost long enough to drift off again. However, Jaina’s eyes snapped open when she heard the sound of the front door opening and closing followed by quiet footfalls on the stairs.

Sylvanas opened the bedroom door slowly, evidently thinking that Jaina was still asleep on the other side. Their eyes met in the dim room, however and Sylvanas shot her a soft smile. 

“Good morning. Did you sleep okay?” Sylvanas asked as she shut the door behind her. 

Jaina’s throat dried up completely as she took in the sight before her. Sylvanas was in traditional running gear that, well, fit her quite  _ well. _ She was in a tank top despite the cold of the morning and Jaina found that she nearly forgot that she'd been asked a question. 

“I slept great,” she managed, coughing a little as she tried to make her voice sound almost normal. 

“Good,” she said cheerily. “I'm gonna shower real quick and make some breakfast. Think about what you'd like and I'll make it for you.” Sylvanas was walking toward the bathroom as she spoke and Jaina almost lost it when she saw her lift the bottom of her tank top to wipe a bit of sweat from her face. Well-defined abs were on clear display for just a few seconds and Sylvanas had to know she was staring. There was no way she wasn't doing this shit on purpose. 

The door shut and Jaina let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as she heard the shower turn on. She didn’t need a mirror to know she was blushing. Badly. 

Breakfast. Right. 

***

Once Sylvanas was showered and dressed, Jaina took her turn after requesting that Sylvanas ‘surprise her’ with whatever she wanted to make for breakfast. She was more than happy to live in Sylvanas’ clothes at this point and part of her wondered if she needed to bring part of her own closet here since she seemed to be spending less and less time at the apartment lately. 

Once Jaina was cleaned up and cozy in a large hoodie and soft pants she’d found, she made her way downstairs. Her hair was still quite damp from her shower but she found that she was feeling quite impatient this morning. It should have scared her more than it did that she missed being close to Sylvanas despite the fact that they were still in the same house. 

Jaina heard humming and sizzling before she even reached the kitchen and smiled as she took in the sight of Sylvanas standing at the stove with her hair tied up, her complete attention on a pan of bacon frying in front of her. Next to her on the counter were two plates, both with beautifully made crepes piled with a generous amount of strawberries. 

“Don’t you have work today?” Jaina asked curiously as she took her usual seat at the kitchen island. The spread Sylvanas was preparing felt like a lot for someone that was just making something before work.

“I do. I had just enough time to make something nice but I think I’ll have to actually enjoy it in my office,” she answered distractedly as she plated the finished bacon with their crepes. “You can help yourself to anything while I’m working. There’s the TV and I have a little reading room with a few bookshelves if you’d prefer to do that as well.”

Jaina perked up at that.

“I think I’d love that actually,” she answered as she took a first bite. Jaina’s eyes nearly fluttered as she tasted the food Sylvanas had prepared. “You’re going to ruin me. I think I’m starting to feel a little spoiled,” she chuckled.

“I see nothing wrong with that,” she shrugged. “Here, follow me back upstairs. I can show you what I have. I’m sorry I can’t have breakfast with you this morning,” she frowned. 

“Don't even worry. I know I have to share sometimes,” Jaina joked. “Besides, there's always dinner tonight.”

“Of course,” Sylvanas replied, almost shyly, before sneaking a quick kiss to Jaina’s cheek as they reached the stairs. 

They made a quick stop in Sylvanas’ office to drop off her own plate and boot up her computer before continuing down the hall and past the bedroom. Sylvanas opened the door and led Jaina into what she considered actual paradise. 

It turns out ‘a few bookshelves’ actually meant shelves completely covering two walls. The other walls had two couches pushed up against them with a small table in between. The curtains were drawn shut but the light Sylvanas switched on filled the room with a soft, incredibly relaxing glow. 

“Sylvanas, this is amazing,” Jaina breathed as she abandoned her plate on the small corner table and immediately started browsing through books. Sylvanas had just about everything she could imagine.

“You're welcome to any of these but please do me a favor and eat your breakfast,” Sylvanas said, laughing a little at Jaina’s enthusiasm. 

“Of course,” Jaina answered before turning and pulling Sylvanas into a tight hug. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

“You're always welcome,” Sylvanas replied as she pulled back slightly, only to lean forward and capture Jaina’s lips in hers for just a moment. That moment not being nearly long enough where Jaina was concerned. “Sorry, I should have asked,” she whispered, only pulling back slightly. She rested her forehead against Jaina’s and looked down apologetically. 

“Please, don't ever apologize for that. It is absolutely wanted,” Jaina said sincerely, pressing one more kiss to Sylvanas’ lips herself. She felt her smile in response.

“I'll keep that in mind,” Sylvanas chuckled as she pulled away completely. “Okay, I need to get in there and get some work done. Please let me know if you need anything but the house and everything in it is yours, okay?” 

Jaina simply nodded as she watched Sylvanas turn and leave her to her own devices. She did resist the temptation to get straight to browsing books and, instead, ate first. Her food was lukewarm at best by this point but it was no less amazing and she was no less grateful that she had Sylvanas here. Being as happy as she was now, felt almost like a dream. An amazing, wonderful dream. 

****

The day honestly flew by. Jaina had long settled in with a fantasy novel she'd chosen from one of the shelves. It was well-worn and obviously well-read. She'd felt like she had only just begun when Sylvanas had quietly let herself into the room with the announcement that it was lunch time. They'd enjoyed sandwiches put together by Sylvanas, as she'd said she had a busy day and would rather spend her lunch with Jaina rather than cooking. 

“I'm sorry, I had no idea how long it had been or I would have tried to make us something,” Jaina had said apologetically. 

Sylvanas had merely shaken her head, reassuring Jaina that she had no reason to feel bad. 

“You looked way too cozy in here anyway,” Sylvanas smiled, nodding toward the book Jaina was already making an impressive headway through. “And that one is Arator’s favorite. I'm sure he'd love to have someone to discuss it with when you meet him at Christmas.” 

They had chatted over lunch a bit longer before Sylvanas had to get back to work. Jaina spent the rest of the afternoon lounging on the same couch getting lost in the novel she’d picked up. Before she knew it, it was nearly five o’clock and she knew Sylvanas would be finished working soon.

She marked her place and set the book down before standing and making her way to the direction of Sylvanas’ office. The door was half open and Jaina let herself in without a word.

Sylvanas was on the phone, clearly in a heated conversation with someone when her eyes met Jaina’s and she stared at her curiously. The hard expression she had immediately softened as she watched Jaina wordlessly throw herself on the cushioned chair that was across from Sylvanas’ desk. Jaina simply made herself comfortable and only offered the elf a soft smile. Sylvanas simply raised an eyebrow but otherwise continued her conversation.

“Look, Nathanos,” she practically growled. “I don't really give a shit what she said to you. I sent you both over there on this job because I knew you two were  _ capable _ . I don't care if you don't like Velonara and I don't care if she doesn't like you. You're there to do a job, not bicker like  _ children.  _ Just do your jobs. And I swear to god, if I hear about you disrespecting her again…”

Sylvanas had her face in her palm as she listened to whatever this, Nathanos, person was replying with. She’d been so sweet to Jaina these past weeks, she nearly forgot that Sylvanas could also be incredibly terrifying when she wanted to be. 

Jaina thought it was kind of adorable, really. 

The person on the receiving end of Sylvanas’ ire obviously didn't think so as she'd let out another annoyed sigh before speaking again. 

“Listen. It's five in the evening here. I'm off the clock. Don't call me again today. Unless there is a dire emergency I don't want to hear from you. Call me again and your next assignment will be on the moon. Good-bye, Nathanos.”

Sylvanas ended the call and dropped her phone with a sigh.

“Rough day?” Jaina asked, unable to hide her amusement at seeing Sylvanas chew someone out that evidently deserved it. 

“They're all children,” she answered with a huff, as she shut down her computer and rolled her chair back, away from the desk. 

Jaina took this as confirmation that she really was done working for the day, and so she stood and made her way over to Sylvanas before settling down right in her lap. She nuzzled gently at Sylvanas’ neck and pressed her lips against her skin before resting there, sighing happily as she felt arms wrap tightly around her.

“Mmm, you're sweet,” Sylvanas said as she planted a single kiss to the top of Jaina’s head. 

“You know, you look adorable when you're angry,” Jaina mumbled into her neck. Sylvanas let out a loud snort that got them both laughing.

“I can honestly say no one has ever said that to me before and I'm not sure if I should be flattered or offended,” she chuckled. 

“I suppose having not been on the receiving end makes me a little biased,” Jaina said. 

“Trust me, you are the last person that I could ever be angry with,” Sylvanas replied softly, tightening her hold for just a moment. “And as wonderful as this is, I do still plan on taking you out tonight. Do you want to get ready in my room? I can meet you downstairs, everything I need is already down there.”

“Formal or casual?”

“Formal. Take anything you want from my closet,” Sylvanas answered easily as Jaina regrettably moved off her lap. “And no rush.”

Jaina leaned over once more to steal a quick kiss before heading into the direction of Sylvanas’ room, more than a little excited about their  _ date _ tonight. 

  
  


****

Jaina did, in fact, take her time in getting ready. She wanted to look perfect. Despite the fact that they had gone about this a bit backwards, tonight felt so important. Jaina wanted to look so good for Sylvanas. 

She'd found a dress that fit her well. It was dark blue in color and fell to just at her knees. It was snug at her waist but it was definitely not too much as she admired herself in the mirror. The lack of sleeves may become an issue since it was December but she'd cross that bridge when she came to it, she supposed. 

She'd taken her time with applying make-up, opting for a bit of a smokey eye and a subtle gloss on her lips, though if she had her way the gloss wouldn't last long this evening. Her hair was left down and she simply left it at that. 

One last look in the mirror, and Jaina was content to make her way back downstairs. She slipped on a pair of black heels on the way, silently grateful that Sylvanas wore a similar size to her, and made her way to the top of the stairs. She caught sight of Sylvanas pacing near the bottom and before she could even take a single step down she saw one of her ears flick back toward her before she turned to her.

Sylvanas was beautiful. This was something Jaina knew from the first time they met. But now? Jaina wasn’t sure if she had ever seen anyone more beautiful in her life. 

She wore a white button-up shirt tucked into black dress pants. A black blazer was worn over top of her shirt and the white lapels of the blazer contrasted elegantly with her outfit which was tied together with black heels. Jaina was so preoccupied with how incredible Sylvanas looked that she almost completely missed when she started speaking to her.

“You look so beautiful,” Sylvanas said, meeting her at the bottom of the stairs. Jaina mentally cursed as she felt her cheeks heat up immediately at the compliment. It was definitely not fair how easily Sylvanas could make her blush with just a few words. 

“If I'm beautiful I don't think there's a proper way to describe how amazing you look,” Jaina said with a smile, which immediately widened as Sylvanas kissed her incredibly lightly, as to not ruin her make-up quite yet. 

After finding Jaina a warm jacket to wear until they got to the restaurant, Sylvanas led her out of the house, holding her hand the whole way until she opened the passenger door of her car. 

With Jaina safely inside, Sylvanas hopped in and started the car, the engine making Jaina jump slightly less than it did in the past as it roared to life. Butterflies fluttered in Jaina’s stomach as they drove past the iron gate and turned onto the road. This was it. This was their first real  _ date. _

****

They eventually pulled up to the restaurant called  _ Silvermoon. _ Jaina wasn't certain what she was expecting but it certainly wasn't this. The restaurant had its own valet right at the front. The exterior of the building was beautiful. All white brick trimmed with golds and reds. There were already quite a number of people hanging around outside as they waited to be seated. 

Sylvanas checked in with the valet and Jaina found herself being helped out of the passenger seat by a friendly looking elven man before being met by Sylvanas.

“This place is beautiful,” Jaina commented as Sylvanas placed one hand at the small of her back and guided her to the front doors.

“Wait until you see inside,” Sylvanas grinned. They walked through the front doors where they were greeted by warm air and gorgeous lights. 

Sylvanas wasn't joking. The dining room had the same color scheme as the outside, all clean whites, golds, and reds. There were several chandeliers hanging, casting an elegant glow onto the dining room tables. 

“Name?” asked an elegantly dressed man at the front podium. Sylvanas’ hand never left its comforting place at Jaina’s back as they approached. 

“Reservations under Windrunner,” Sylvanas answered easily.

“Ah! Very good. We have your table ready for you if you'll follow me,” he said politely.

They were led across the dining room and surprisingly, out of the dining room into a smaller area with only a handful of tables. Their chairs were pulled out for them and Jaina was helped out of her jacket before they sat with just their menus in front of them. 

“Your waiter will be with you shortly,” the host said, taking a small bow before exiting the room. 

“Private room?” Jaina questioned. Sylvanas simply shrugged as she picked up her menu.

“Less of a wait. Plus it's quieter in here. I'd rather just hear you,” she said.

“That’s….strangely sweet,” Jaina chuckled as she opened her own menu. Her eyes widened as she scanned over it. “Sylvanas, there are no prices on this menu.”

“Yep,” she replied without looking up, popping the ‘p’ ever so slightly. “I want you to get whatever you want.”

“But-” 

Before Jaina could finish her retort, she spotted their waitress entering the room. A small, elven girl with blonde hair neatly done up. She gave them both a smile as she greeted them.

“Good evening,” she said cheerily. “I'm Lyana and I'll be serving you two tonight. Can I start you off with any drinks?”

Jaina’s head was still spinning at the idea of how  _ expensive  _ this place was as Sylvanas spoke first.

“I'll have the Grand Cru wine please,” she answered.

“And for you, ma’am?” Lyana looked over to Jaina, waiting for her answer. 

“Uhhh, I'll have the same?” Jaina said hesitantly. She glanced over to Sylvanas who was looking more than highly amused behind her menu.

Once she'd gone, Jaina let out a sigh as she took her time looking over the menu. A lot of the dishes were things she had never had in her life, but even she could admit that it all sounded amazing. 

“Do you have any recommendations since you insist on spoiling me so, Windrunner?” Jaina said with mock indignance. 

“Wow, not even on a first name basis anymore?” Sylvanas tsked. “I'm a fan of the duck and the lamb.”

“All right. I get one you get the other?” 

“Deal.”

*****

Jaina had to admit, Sylvanas did have excellent taste. Which really shouldn't have been a surprise at this point. Everything was incredible. So incredible, in fact, that she'd eaten every bit of her entree and a pretty fair amount of what was on Sylvanas’ plate. The elf really didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, it was more than encouraged as Sylvanas had reached over to feed Jaina herself from her own fork several times over the course of their meal. 

“So on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate tonight?” Sylvanas asked as she settled their bill.

“You're asking me to rate our date?” Jaina asked incredulously. 

“Well, our date so far,” Sylvanas shrugged. “This was just part one.”

“Part one…. Okay. I would rate this a solid nine out of ten,” Jaina answered. Sylvanas’ ears flattened immediately at her answer and Jaina had to really struggle to hold back a laugh at her expression. 

“Okay, I'll bite. What made you take off a point?” she asked, raising one eyebrow in genuine curiosity. 

“Oh, just a minor thing,” Jaina answered innocently. “Everything was amazing but I'm really feeling a severe lack of kissing if you want my honest feedback.” She had no idea how she managed a straight face through her explanation but she did. It was honestly worth seeing the trademark smirk slowly make its way onto Sylvanas’ lips as she tilted her head. 

“I suppose that was a major shortcoming on my part. Though the evening is far from over. I'll be sure to make this up to you, Miss Proudmoore.”

“I look forward to it.”

******

With the bill settled, the two women soon left the restaurant and headed back to Sylvanas’ home. The difference this time was that the elf held Jaina’s hand over the center console the entire way, only letting go to maneuver the vehicle as needed. It was nice. Though, Jaina couldn't help feeling a bit nervous as they got closer to home. Sylvanas had said their date wasn't over and it got Jaina wondering how the night would play out. 

Did Sylvanas expect anything more of her? She knew that Sylvanas would never pressure her into doing anything she didn't want. Not that she didn't want sex with Sylvanas. She most certainly did, but not yet. It felt too soon and Jaina dreaded the idea of disappointing her. 

“I can practically hear you thinking,” Sylvanas said, not looking away from the road. In the darkness, all Jaina could see was her profile along with the soft glow of her eyes. “Penny for your thoughts?” The question came with the feeling of her thumb stroking softly over Jaina’s knuckles comfortingly. 

She considered lying. Blowing it off and saying everything was fine was extremely attractive to her at that moment. She couldn't though. If she wanted this to work, she knew she'd have to be honest. Even if that meant possibly disappointing her elf. 

“I was wondering about the rest of the night actually,” Jaina said quietly. Sylvanas’ thumb never stopped its gentle circles as she said as much. 

“If you're wondering if I was expecting sex tonight, you don't have to worry about that,” Sylvanas said, glancing at Jaina for only a moment. “I'm sure you know by now I would never put you in an uncomfortable situation. And while I would like to at some point, if you do anyway, I'm not ready yet,” she admitted. 

Jaina let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

“That’s okay,” Jaina answered with a squeeze of her hand. “I was honestly worried I would disappoint you. I don't think I'm ready either but the kissing you and holding you part is beyond okay right now.”

“You could never disappoint me, Jaina. I am more than content with the ‘kissing you and holding you parts’ as well,” she said with a slight laugh. “And please don't ever hesitate to tell me what you want or don't want. I really, really care about you, you know?”

“I know,” Jaina answered, her voice quiet as she held back tears. “I care about you too. So much.”

The rest of the drive was made in relative silence and before she knew it, Jaina was being let out of the car and back into the wintry air. Though, the chill was short-lived as Sylvanas immediately pulled her into a tight embrace in the middle of her driveway and pressed a kiss just below her ear.

“When we go inside, change into something comfortable and meet me back in the living room, okay?”

Jaina simply nodded, not really trusting her voice at that moment. Though the curiosity of what Sylvanas had planned was killing her. 

When they got inside, Sylvanas excused herself to one of the guest rooms to change and left Jaina to find more borrowed clothes upstairs. She easily found some shorts and one of Sylvanas’ many large t-shirts before quickly washing her face of any make-up. 

As she washed her face, Jaina was suddenly taken aback by her own reflection. She was so used to the stress and misery being plain on her face. Now, as she stared at her reflection the difference was shocking. The dark circles under her eyes had faded. Her once pale complexion was now replaced with a much healthier glow and she found that she did not have to force a smile. She was happy. So, so happy and she had Sylvanas to thank for that. 

She turned to make her way back down the stairs. She was no longer full of nerves, but just excitement for whatever Sylvanas had planned to end their date night. 

When she made it to the bottom of the stairs she let out an immediate laugh. 

Sylvanas was in the living room, dressed in shorts and a tank top with a red flannel thrown over top of it. She had the biggest pile of blankets and pillows Jaina had ever seen in one place and there were a handful of kitchen chairs being dragged into the living room. 

“What are you doing?” Jaina asked in amusement. 

“Well,” Sylvanas began as she carefully lifted her TV down from its stand to the floor. “I thought it would be fun to build a blanket fort. You know. Like adults. And maybe watch a movie while we cuddle underneath it?” 

“Oh my god, you're so goddamn cute,” Jaina said as she started to help position chairs. Sylvanas simply smiled widely at her, showing a hint of her fangs along with it. Seriously, so goddamn cute. 

Pillows and blankets were layered onto the floor followed by sheets and blankets being draped over chairs and over top of the television so it could be seen from inside. Sylvanas even found an extra set of white string lights from her Christmas collection and hung them around their fort so that they had a nice, soft glow on the inside.

“Okay, okay. It's ready,” Sylvanas said excitedly, already crawling into the blanket fort. 

Jaina followed close behind and settled beside Sylvanas who was already turning on the TV and getting comfortable. Jaina simply draped one arm over Sylvanas’ stomach and pressed a single kiss to her clothed shoulder. 

“Any preferences?” Sylvanas asked as she flipped through their selections. 

“Not really. Though, stupid romcoms are a favorite genre of mine.” 

“Stupid romcoms it is then.” Sylvanas scrolled for a few minutes before she settled on The Proposal. A classic, really. 

Though once it started playing Sylvanas immediately turned to Jaina and suddenly the movie choice really didn't seem to matter that much.

The already small space between them was closed and Sylvanas pressed her lips to Jaina’s. She practically melted under the elf’s gentle touches. Sylvanas trailed her lips down across her jawline and back, leaving what felt like a trail of fire in her wake. Her lips met the corner of Jaina’s mouth before coming properly back to her lips. She pulled back only slightly before speaking.

“So, how’s my date night rating now?” Sylvanas whispered mischievously against her lips.

“You are incorrigible,” Jaina whispered back. “But I would say a twelve out of ten. This is nice.”

“Would you say,” she began in between pressing more kisses to Jaina’s jaw, working her way down to her neck. “That a twelve out of ten would justify me asking you to be my girlfriend?” 

Jaina could barely keep up with the words Sylvanas was saying as she tilted her head, absolutely lost in the feeling of how intoxicating this was. 

“I think that it would be more than adequate if you would have me,” Jaina answered distractedly. She felt Sylvanas smile against her neck before pulling away. Her hand rose to tuck Jaina’s hair behind her ear affectionately. 

“You are so beautiful and wonderful. You have no idea,” Sylvanas said before settling back into a comfortable position on her back. Jaina simply rested her head on Sylvanas’ shoulder while the movie played. Her arm stayed draped over Sylvanas’ middle though her hand held Sylvanas’ on the other side. 

She drifted off under the soft glow of the lights above and to the gentle sounds of Sylvanas’ breathing as their movie played. The last thing she remembered was the distinct feeling of lips pressing against the top of her head and the very real feeling of being truly safe and content. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for all your comments and encouragement. They seriously keep me so motivated and I'm so happy you guys like the story so far! 
> 
> That said, I did recently return to my job so free time is a lot less these days. But trust that I am determined to see this story to the end! Thank you guys again.

Jaina knew immediately that she had been screaming before she was ever conscious if the burning pain in her throat and chest were any indication. The nightmare was largely the same, however the body she witnessed being crushed right in front of her did not belong to her brother. Instead, she was horrified to see a lifeless body with long blonde hair and elven ears.

Despite knowing that the image was, in fact, just a dream, the screaming continued even as she felt strong arms embrace her immediately. When had she sat up? Where the fuck was she? 

“-na, please. It was just a dream. You’re not there. You’re not there.” She heard Sylvanas repeating the words to her over and over though she had difficulty registering them in her mind. 

Sylvanas. Right. She wasn’t at her apartment. Which means Sylvanas was witnessing one of her frequent night terrors and the panic attacks it brought with it. She suddenly felt sick. 

“I’m s-sorry,” Jaina gasped, clinging to Sylvanas despite the overwhelming desire to run away. She had no doubt Sylvanas could feel her heart hammering against her own chest. 

“Don't,” Sylvanas said firmly, her hold tightening as if it could stop Jaina’s trembling and chase the dreams away. “Don't ever apologize for this. Just focus on me and try to match my breathing, okay? Deep breaths.”

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks and soaked into Sylvanas’ shirt as she did what she was told. She focused on the rise and fall of Sylvanas’ chest against her own and tried to calm her own breathing. One of Sylvanas’ hands had moved up to stroke Jaina’s hair as the elf effectively helped ground her to reality. 

“Thank you,” Jaina whispered sometime later as she took one last shuddering breath. Sylvanas was practically holding her upright by this point, the panic attack having sapped every bit of her strength. She opened her eyes and really took the time to look around for the first time since they'd been awake. They were still in their blanket fort, the only light being the softly glowing string lights just outside. Still too early for the sun to be out for certain. 

“Of course,” Sylvanas answered softly, pressing a kiss to Jaina’s forehead. “Do you need anything? Is there anything I can do for you right now?”

Jaina simply shook her head, suddenly too exhausted to form words. 

“Okay. Let’s lie back down then and get some more sleep. We have hours before the sun comes up,” she guided her back down as she spoke, though Jaina stiffened a bit in response. Going back to sleep sounded terrifying right this second. “It’ll be okay. I can’t promise I can keep the dreams away but I’m not going to leave you. I’ll be right here and I’m not going to let you go.”

Jaina simply sighed heavily as she was pulled back into Sylvanas’ chest. Her own arms wrapped tightly around the elf’s waist. When she closed her eyes, images of Sylvanas, lifeless on the ground, flashed behind her eyelids. She hadn’t even noticed her breathing speeding up again until she heard Sylvanas shush her gently and start her gentle ministrations in her hair once again. A quiet humming filled her ears as she closed her eyes once more, holding onto the feeling of Sylvanas very much alive and breathing in her own arms. 

***

When Jaina awoke again, it was to sunlight filtering through the sheets overhead and the sound of Sylvanas quietly snoring beside her. A much better way to wake up, really. 

At some point during the night they had switched positions. Sylvanas was now nestled into Jaina’s arms with her face nearly buried in her chest. She expected to feel guilt this morning, knowing that Sylvanas missed out on sleep because of her. And maybe she did a little. But at this very moment, she was simply filled with awe at how much adoration she felt for the woman resting peacefully against her. 

Yesterday had been absolutely wonderful despite the slightly sour note from last night. This morning, of course, was hardly different. She got to wake up to Sylvanas. Her  _ girlfriend _ , Sylvanas. Just the thought had her smiling like an idiot as she laid there, soaking it all in.

Jaina busied herself with tracing Sylvanas’ features with her fingertips as she let her sleep a bit longer. She traces swirling patterns across a high cheekbone, down her jawline, and back up to trace along her ear which flicked immediately under her touch.

“Mmm, Jaina?” Sylvanas mumbled sleepily, not even bothering to open her eyes quite yet. She clung even tighter to Jaina as she let out a sleepy sigh, practically melting under the gentle touches to her face and hair. “--time is it?”

“Still early, I think,” she whispered. “Sorry, if I woke you”

“I’m not going to complain. I rather liked it, actually. Keep doing that,” she said as she reached up and guided Jaina’s hand back to her hair so she could continue stroking it. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Better,” Jaina replied, catching on to the obvious double meaning in the question. “They’re bad sometimes. The nightmares. I’m sorry you had to see it.”

“I’d rather be here and have you not go through them alone,” Sylvanas said. She untangled herself from Jaina slightly so that she could scoot up and look Jaina in the eyes, one hand moving up to rest on her cheek and push snow white hair back out of her face. “I’m just sorry I couldn’t be here with you before now.” A kiss was pressed to Jaina’s lips as she said so.

They laid in comfortable silence for a long while that morning, simply taking in one another's company. And while Jaina wanted nothing more than to stay like this forever, she knew she needed to consider heading back to her apartment sometime soon before her shift tonight. She said as much out loud.

“I can drive you if you want,” Sylvanas suggested. “I mean to your apartment to get ready and then to work. I hate that you have to talk so far,” she frowned. 

“You don’t have to do that.”

“No, but I want to,” Sylvanas smiled. “I wouldn’t mind driving you when I can.”

“You’re too good to me,” Jaina said before leaning in for yet another kiss.

“Never.”

  
  


***

They pulled up to the back entrance of  _ The Spire  _ that evening with ten minutes to spare before the beginning of Jaina’s shift. Sylvanas cut the engine and got out, walking to the other side to open the passenger door and helping Jaina out as she always did. 

“Thank you for the ride,” Jaina said gratefully. 

“Mhm, have a good evening at work,” Sylvanas said before pulling Jaina into a sweet kiss. “Text me when you get home tonight? Just so I know you got back safe.”

“Of course,” Jaina smiled. She really should have turned and gone straight into work but instead Jaina found herself leaning forward once again to steal another kiss. She felt the elf smile against her lips but she didn’t complain. Idly, Jaina wondered if she’d ever grow tired of this. 

_ No _ , she thought. She could never get tired of this.

She would have easily made herself late for work at this point if it weren’t for the sound of a door slamming shut right behind them. Jaina jumped away from Sylvanas violently as if she’d been burned. 

“Please tell me that’s not who I thought it was,” Jaina groaned. Sylvanas was already laughing uncontrollably at her mortified expression. 

“Unfortunately, I think Lor was curious as to what the hold up was and you may not be hearing the end of it tonight,” Sylvanas chuckled. “I know how he gets.”

“Fuck sake,” Jaina sighed. “I suppose I should get to work. I’ll text you later.” 

One more, regrettably brief, kiss was shared between them before they finally parted ways for the last time that evening. She was pretty sure this was the first time she’d ever been a little disappointed that she was going into work.    
  
**

Jaina walked through the back entrance and was met with a very pleased, very smug Lor’themar. He was leaning against one of the counters with his arms crossed, smiling widely at Jaina.

“...everything okay?” Jaina asked hesitantly. Why she bothered asking, she didn’t know. 

“ _ Just friends,  _ huh?”

Jaina felt heat rush to her face. She wasn't exactly embarrassed about having been caught but Lor being right all along after all his teasing had her a bit flustered. She was already preparing for the ‘I told you so-s’ to commence for the remainder of the night. 

“Okay,” she sighed as she moved to take off her jacket. “Maybe you were a little right about us having heart eyes.”

“Only a little?” he prodded, raising one eyebrow.

“You’re not going to drop this, are you?”

“I will drop it on one condition,” he offered. “I call dibs on being your best man at the wedding.”

“Oh, fuck off, Lor,” Jaina laughed despite her mild annoyance. She threw on her apron and tied it off before walking off to start her shift. 

“Hey, I’m pretty sure you can’t say that to your boss!” he called after her, though the humor was still very much present in his voice. Jaina simply shook her head and got to work. His teasing likely wouldn’t stop any time soon but she was happy. So, so happy. 

****

The bar was busy that night and Jaina’s shift practically flew by. Before she knew it, she was cleaning up the last handful of tables of the night in the now empty room. She saw Lor approach and mentally prepared for the eye rolling she knew she was about to be doing. They’d been too busy for any real teasing but he’d been looking way too pleased with himself the entire night.

“Busy night, eh?” he said casually as he helped clean up the last few tables. 

“Yeah, Saturdays tend to do that,” she chuckled as they both carried armfuls of dishes to the back.

“I just want you to know, all jokes aside, I am extremely happy you both acted on your bad case of heart eyes,” Lor said with a wide smile. “I know we talked about it before but she needed someone and maybe you did too. You both look great together.”

“That is….surprisingly sweet,” Jaina answered. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” he said. “And by the way, I was extremely serious about the best man thing.”

Before he could blink, Lor found himself dodging a stray cloth napkin, the moment officially ruined. 

“You can’t be serious for more than two minutes, can you?” Jaina complained, though the wide smile she wore ruined the effect. 

“I can be serious for at least three, thank you very much,” he huffed.

They both finished closing up the bar together and after exchanging their goodbyes for the night, Jaina was finally ready to head home. She fished her phone out of her jacket pocket and checked it for the first time that night. It was nearly three in the morning by now and she scrolled through the handful of notifications she had. Most of them were sweet texts from Sylvanas that were just intended to be there for her to read and smile at when she was finished working. They certainly did the job as Jaina’s cheeks practically ached as she read them.

Her expression dropped, however, when she saw a text from an unknown number. The same Georgia area code from the other day.

_ ‘’Please call us, Jaina. It’s been months.’ _

The blood drained from her face as she read the brief text. Jaina felt herself sway on her feet as the breath was practically knocked from her lungs in shock. This couldn’t be happening. She didn’t even understand how they could have gotten her information. She’d left completely without a trace. No one knew where she went.

Her vision had completely blurred with tears by the time she unlocked her phone and hit the call button. She was shaking and it definitely was not from the biting cold from standing outside. As soon as she heard the line open on the other end she spoke through the lump in her throat.

“Hey. Fuck, I’m so sorry, can you pick me up?”

“Where are you? I’m leaving my house right now,” said the sleepy voice on the other end.

“Just outside the bar. I didn’t get very far. I just-” She could barely get the words out as tears ran down her cheeks and clogged her throat. A single sob broke through before she could finish her sentence. 

“Shhh,” Sylvanas shushed her gently over the phone. “You don’t have to explain yourself. I’m on my way.” And judging by the roar of her car’s engine plainly heard over the phone, Jaina knew that she was absolutely on her way. “Are you safe?” she asked. 

“Yes,” Jaina managed to get out. She’d glanced around just to make sure but she was most certainly very alone outside on the darkened street. 

“Okay, I’m going to hang up but I will literally be there in five minutes. Don’t move.”

Jaina heard the line click and she slid down to the cold concrete while she waited. She felt awful for calling Sylvanas at this time of night when she had obviously been asleep, or at least close to it. But there was no way she was going to make it home like this. She couldn’t. 

True to her word, Sylvanas showed up not even five minutes later. She heard the Lambo before she ever saw it and she knew that there was blatant speeding involved. The sleek black car pulled into the back lot just as it had earlier that evening and Sylvanas practically threw herself out of the car. She jogged over to Jaina and immediately crouched down next to her, pulling her tightly into her arms. That only made Jaina cry harder.

“Shhh, it’s okay. I’m here,” Sylvanas said calmly, comforting her for the second time that day. She felt pathetic. She felt like a burden. “Let’s get you out of this cold. You’re freezing.”

The drive to Jaina’s apartment was silent aside from her sniffling as she tried to rein her emotions in. Sylvanas said nothing, but held her hand tightly the entire way there. When they parked several minutes later, Sylvanas helped her out of the car and walked beside her inside and up the stairs. Jaina half expected her to say goodnight and leave once she’d unlocked her apartment but that didn’t happen. Instead, she helped Jaina out of her jacket and guided her over to the couch before covering her with the small blanket that stayed draped over the back. 

“I’m going to make you some tea, okay?” Jaina simply nodded, not trusting her voice right then. She curled up into herself as she watched Sylvanas walk away. Sylvanas, who was still in her pajamas with a hoodie thrown over top. Her make-up had been removed and her hair looked a little mussed which obviously meant that Jaina really had woken her. She felt terrible.

When Sylvanas came back over with a steaming mug, she carefully placed it in Jaina’s hands and sat down beside her, scooting under the blanket herself. The warmth of the mug spreading across her hands honestly felt incredibly pleasant and the warmth of Sylvanas’ body next to hers felt even more pleasant. She took a single sip of her tea and simply tilted her head to rest against the elf’s shoulder, sighing deeply.

“Do you want to talk about it? Did something happen?” Sylvanas asked. She tilted her own head to lean against Jaina herself.

“My mother texted me. At least, I’m pretty sure it was my mother considering it was more a demand than anything,” Jaina admitted, her voice quiet. “I don't even know why I'm so upset. This feels so ridiculous.”

“I think you're perfectly justified,” Sylvanas said. “I mean, just considering what you've told me. What did she say?”

“Just told me I should call her and that it's been months as if I didn't already know that,” Jaina scoffed. “I don't even know if I want to speak to her again.”

“You don't owe her anything, Jaina. And it's your choice when or if you decide to do that. Just know that I support you no matter what, okay?”

“You're too good, you know that?”

“I try,” she heard Sylvanas say as she felt a kiss being pressed to the top of her head. “Why don't we head to bed? Do you want me to stay with you tonight?”

“Please,” Jaina answered gratefully. She wanted absolutely nothing more in that moment. 

***

That night, both women settled into Jaina’s much smaller full-size bed. Neither were complaining, however, as Jaina settled into Sylvanas’ embrace, taking on the role of the little spoon. Sylvanas was already on her way to being completely unconscious judging by the slowly evening breaths Jaina felt against her ear. She had to say one more thing though.

“Thank you for coming tonight,” Jaina said quietly. “I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there.”

There was only the quiet sound of Sylvanas’ breathing for a few moments, and it almost seemed like she had already fallen asleep completely. Until she spoke suddenly.

“Mmm, just being a good girlfriend, my love,” she mumbled sleepily. 

Jaina melted at the endearment. She knew it came from a state of pure unfiltered exhaustion, but that made it all the more wonderful to hear. 

“Well, you're the best girlfriend,” Jaina whispered. She didn't get a verbal response to that, but the slight smile she felt against the shell of her ear told her Sylvanas had heard her. As Jaina allowed herself to be slowly taken by sleep herself, she knew without a doubt that in that moment she was absolutely loved. 

What a feeling. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I am so sorry for the long wait. Words are hard and so is 2020. Hope you guys enjoy this update and I'll try not to leave you too long for the next one. I appreciate all of you that take the time to read this <3

If someone had told Jaina over a month ago that she’d be spending Christmas Eve with someone she was pretty sure she was falling in love with she would have laughed in their face. And yet here she was, at her girlfriend’s house on Christmas Eve helping her prepare for the gathering they’d be having with her family tomorrow. 

It was a little nerve-wracking, the idea of meeting Sylvanas’ family tomorrow, but she found that she was looking forward to it even more. She’d already met both her sisters and they were both wonderful. And the kids wouldn’t be very difficult to win over, she thought. No, she was mostly nervous about meeting Lireesa, Sylvanas’ mother. Because why wouldn’t she be? Of all the family members she could possibly desire approval from, it was Lireesa, and her track record with mothers wasn’t exactly great to date. 

“Babe? Can you come help me with these?” Sylvanas called from upstairs. Jaina stepped away from the decorations she was fiddling with and followed the sound of the elf’s voice curiously. She found her girlfriend in her office with the small closet open, bending through the doorway.

“What do you need me to do?” Jaina asked, peering into the room. She walked over to look inside the closet and couldn’t help but let out of a burst of laughter at what she saw. “Oh my god, Syl.” Inside the closet were immaculately wrapped gifts stacked up nearly to the ceiling. Sylvanas, meanwhile, was trying to carefully gather a few of the boxes without disturbing the pile too much.

“I might, perhaps, enjoy spoiling my nephews from time to time,” Sylvanas said as she finally lifted several of the colorful boxes. “Would you help me get these down to the tree?”

“Of course.” Jaina carefully lifted several boxes of her own and made her way down the stairs as carefully as possible. Most of the gifts were quite light, if not a little awkward to carry. She could only imagine what sort of amazing toys were inside for the boys. 

It only took about a dozen trips between both of them, but they managed to get everything situated beneath, and around the tree. Jaina was suddenly left wondering if they should have left half the tree undecorated considering you could barely see it past the mountain of gifts. They stood for a moment, admiring their work, when Sylvanas suddenly spoke.

“Man. Vereesa’s gonna be pissed when she has to try to figure out how to get all this home,” the elf deadpanned. 

“So is this more about spoiling the kids, or torturing your poor sister?” Jaina laughed.

“Yes.”

  
  


****

“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” Sylvanas’ question was unexpected, to say the least, as both women were busying themselves with cleaning the kitchen after an evening of food prep. Sylvanas stood in front of the sink, elbows deep in dishes, while Jaina cleaned counters. Jaina glanced up in surprise, not completely positive in how she wanted to answer that question. Of course she was nervous.

“I… yeah, honestly, I’m pretty nervous,” Jaina admitted with a sigh. 

“Is there anything I can do to make it better?” Sylvanas asked as she went back to focusing on scrubbing the pots in her hands. 

“I just want your mother to like me is all,” Jaina answered truthfully. “You know my history with mothers.” The granite of the countertop suddenly became extremely interesting. There was near silence for a few moments, the only sound being the scrubbing from Sylvanas’ place at the sink. 

“Would it make you feel better if I told you she already loves the hell out of you just from our conversations over the phone?” 

Despite her anxiety, Jaina couldn’t help the wide smile and laugh bubbling through. 

“You talk about me to your mother?” It felt childish but the idea left her feeling so giddy. She almost felt like she was back in high school and Sylvanas clearly found nothing but amusement out of that response as she laughed at her smiling girlfriend. 

“Of course I do, you dork.” Her words were emphasized with a roll of her eyes. “Even if I wanted to keep you a secret, my sisters already wouldn’t shut up about the ‘cute girl’ I was bringing around,” she chuckled.

“I guess that does make me feel a little bit better.”

“Good. Because trust me, I think she’s always secretly wanted a fourth daughter and all she can talk about lately is meeting you. Actually, I apologize in advance for all of them,” Sylvanas deadpanned. 

***

Sleep threatened to elude Jaina that evening, however the combination of Sylvanas’ soft bed and, of course, the presence of the woman herself worked well in lulling her into an eventual deep slumber despite the excitement still fluttering in the pit of her stomach. She woke up early that morning to the feeling of movement behind her. She’d barely opened her eyes when she felt soft lips against her cheek.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you,” Sylvanas whispered. “I’m going for my run. I’ll be back soon.”

Jaina could only muster a mumbled reply as she saw a blurry Sylvanas leave the room and quietly shut the door behind her. The plan was to hopefully fall asleep again, at least for a little while. However, the silence of the empty house felt almost deafening to Jaina’s ears and the lack of a warm body beside her eventually had her reluctantly dragging herself out of bed. 

A glance outside showed an overcast sky which Jaina had come to accept as the norm. She wondered idly if it might rain today, but she found that she didn’t mind either way. The idea of spending her first Christmas day in her new home with Sylvanas and her family vastly overshadowed any concern for the weather. 

Jaina made her way downstairs after slipping on one of Sylvanas’ many long sleeved, button-up shirts to shield her from the slight morning chill she felt. Most of the lights were already on and Jaina paused to admire the tree for what was probably the hundredth time in the last few days. Well, what she could see of the tree from behind its box fortress. In a matter of hours she imagined the tree wouldn’t be visible at all once everyone got here. 

She walked into the kitchen, idly wondering what she should make for breakfast. Sylvanas was typically the one making their meals and Jaina felt a bit guilty about that. While she knew that the elf absolutely loved cooking, she often felt like she could do more.

A search through the kitchen revealed that Sylvanas literally did not own any easy or quick food items and Jaina would be making something from scratch.  _ Pancakes it is,  _ Jaina sighed internally. She certainly did not have the energy for anything more intricate than that today. 

The entire process was surprisingly cathartic as Jaina mixed everything together and got started. She even added some blueberries she’d found to make them a little less plain. She was so focused on making them as perfect as possible she almost didn't hear the front door open. Almost.

She'd just plated pancake number four when Sylvanas strolled into the kitchen, a grin already on her face. She wore a similar outfit to the one Jaina saw her in just the other day except, rather than a tank top, she wore a thin long-sleeved shirt to shield her from the chill of the morning wind.

“And here I was expecting to be able to bring you breakfast in bed this morning,” she said with amusement. She rounded the counter and pressed a kiss to Jaina’s cheek before whispering, “Merry Christmas.”

“I thought that maybe I could do a little spoiling for a change,” Jaina smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. “I'm sad I couldn't actually buy you anything for today.”

“Don't be silly,” Sylvanas replied easily. “You being here is more than enough. It makes me happier than you even know.” 

“Still.”

“I know,” the elf murmured, giving Jaina’s waist a light squeeze. “This won’t be forever. You know that. We have plenty of Christmases ahead of us for gift giving, I hope.”

“Of course we do.” Jaina’s smile became more genuine then, and she turned to pull Sylvanas into a tight hug which was returned without hesitation. She hoped, more than anything, that Sylvanas was right. 

***

When the first knocks on the door came that afternoon, Jaina’s heart practically leaped into her throat. This was it. She’d just finished setting out the snack trays in the kitchen when she heard Sylvanas jogging down the stairs to get the door. She immediately heard young, and very adorable, voices excitedly chattering as the door opened. She heard Sylvanas speaking to them as she made her way to the living room to introduce herself. 

“You guys are going to be taller than me before I know it,” she heard Sylvanas say affectionately. Both twin boys had their arms wrapped around Sylvanas’ neck as she kneeled down for a hug from both of them. Jaina could just barely make out red hair and small, yet still pointed ears from behind Sylvanas. 

“You two could have offered to help carry things, you know!” she heard a voice exclaim from outside. Jaina recognized Vereesa’s voice immediately and headed to the doorway. The youngest Windrunner was struggling under a sizable stack of colorfully wrapped boxes of her own and Jaina jogged over to offer a hand. 

“Here, let me take a few,” Jaina chuckled, already offloading a few good-sized boxes. 

“Oh, thanks, Jaina. At least  _ someone  _ here is helpful,” Vereesa sighed. There was an indignant sound of protest from behind them as a man, obviously Vereesa’s husband, shut the door of their minivan with several boxes of his own. 

“Hey, I’m helpful,” he protested playfully as he caught up with the two women. “I’m Rhonin, by the way. I’d shake your hand but I’m afraid I have my hands full with being  _ helpful _ ,” he said with a grin. 

“Jaina,” she answered politely. “It’s great to finally meet everyone. Sylvanas speaks about your boys often.”

“Yeah, no one is better than their Auntie Syl,” Vereesa said with a slight roll of her eyes. “Hopefully she’s toned down on testing the capacity of my vehicle this year-- Or not,” Vereesa said flatly as they made it into the house. She placed her boxes wherever she could find room and sighed. 

“Well, Merry Christmas to you too, sister,” Sylvanas grinned, pulling Vereesa into a hug. The twins were still glued to their aunt’s side, one of them gripping the hem of her jeans as if he was afraid she’d get too far from him. 

“ _ I am going to kill you, _ ” Vereesa whispered as she returned the embrace. 

“Giramar and Galadin would protect me.” she said mischievously. “Have you heard from Alleria or Mother yet?”

“Yeah, they should be here soon. There was a, um, incident this morning. I’m sure you can guess. Arator might need some cheering up when they get here.”

Jaina saw the sisters exchange a ‘look’ as this was said and she stared worriedly at Sylvanas. She’d manage to catch Sylvanas’ eye but she only shook her head, mouthing the word ‘later’ as she moved to greet Rhonin properly. 

Jaina busied herself with organizing the fortress of boxes around the tree so that more space could be made. As she cleared a fair amount of space she suddenly felt a slight tug on the bottom of her shirt. She turned to see one of the twins staring up at her inquisitively. She worried for a moment about figuring out which was which, something that really annoyed her when she was little as a twin herself, but then she quickly noticed the shirt he was wearing. It was as red as the boy’s hair and said,  _ I’m Giramar, That’s Galadin  _ with a little arrow pointing off to the right. A quick glance across the room showed the other twin was wearing a similar shirt with the opposite arrow.  _ Oh thank the stars for Vereesa’s kindness today. _

“Hello,” Jaina greeted him warmly, immediately kneeling down to his level. “I love your shirt,” Jaina complimented.

“Thanks. Momma said they were helpful,” Giramar said slowly as he took the time to recount his mother’s words. “Your name is Jaina? Are you our new aunt?” he said quickly without any hesitation. A silence fell over the room and Jaina caught Sylvanas looking their way, face expressionless. Vereesa, meanwhile, had covered her face with one hand, a glass of wine already in the other. Jaina could only laugh at the pure innocence the question came from. 

“If you would like me to be, I would love that,” she told him. “I’ve always wanted to be a cool aunt.”

“Okay,” he said simply before throwing his tiny arms up and giving Jaina a tight hug. Jaina returned it automatically and as brief as it was, she had to quickly pull herself together before the tears started. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting but it was certainly not being brought to tears by a four year old. Though she found that she really didn’t mind. Not at all.

***

Another half hour passed before another knock came to the door. They’d all settled into the living room by now, enjoying snacks and being forever entertained by the twins while a Christmas movie played in the background. 

Sylvanas got up to open the door and was greeted by Alleria who was carrying several gift bags of her own. Jaina caught sight of her stony expression and a few hushed whispers that were exchanged between the sisters. She looked tired, but smiled when she finally walked through the threshold and greeted everyone inside. She made a beeline toward Jaina after she set down her things. 

“Merry Christmas, new sister,” Alleria said as she opened her arms and offered a hug which Jaina accepted immediately. 

“Merry Christmas to you too, Alleria,” Jaina chuckled. 

Alleria gave her a wink and nothing more as she moved away to follow the already insistent tugging of the twins as they bombarded their Aunt Alleria in much the same way they did Sylvanas earlier. 

When Jaina turned back toward the door she saw Sylvanas embracing a teenage boy who was just barely taller than her. His hair was long and blonde much like his mother’s. In fact, he looked to be practically the spitting image of Alleria with the exception of shorter ears that suggested a human parent. She could see Sylvanas speaking quietly to him as she rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, though Jaina couldn’t make out any words. 

He politely waved at Jaina and moved further into the room as his small cousins greeted him excitedly. Jaina could already tell he was more on the shy and quiet side. A polar opposite to the rest of the family she’d met today. 

“Where is she?” Another unfamiliar voice caught Jaina’s attention and she turned to see an older woman walking in, handing various things to Sylvanas as she did. 

“Hello, to you too, Mother,” Sylvanas said with a roll of her eyes. “I’m doing great, thanks.”

Lireesa ignored her daughter’s sarcastic commentary and soon her eyes fell upon Jaina, a wide smile suddenly gracing her face. It floored Jaina, how much Sylvanas looked like her mother. The same golden blonde hair only with a slight touch of grey here and there, the same grey eyes, and nearly identical sharp facial features.

“You must be Jaina,” she said. Her voice was warm and kind and Jaina immediately felt as ease in the woman’s presence.

“I am. It’s wonderful to finally meet you,” Jaina said politely. Lireesa looked like she wanted to say more, however she was suddenly bombarded with the hurricane that was Giramar and Galadin. 

“We’ll have to talk more later. I’m sure you already know how these boys are,” she chuckled as she joined the others, acknowledging the twins’ excited chatter with enthusiasm. 

With everyone here, there was now a steady volume of chatter and activity throughout the house. Jaina settled into the loveseat with Sylvanas and contented herself with observing the smiles and laughter that filled the room. Sylvanas held Jaina’s hand as they all caught up with each other properly. 

Vereesa was chattering about her latest photography project when her boys suddenly proclaimed they would be playing outside and ran out of the room, dragging Arator with them. Even Jaina could tell he just wanted to hang out with the adults, but much like everyone else, he couldn’t quite say no to the twins when they asked him to play catch with them. It was pretty damn endearing, really. 

As soon as they heard the sliding door in the kitchen shut, however, the energy in the room completely changed. 

“Okay, Alleria,” Sylvanas started. “Spill.”

“Sylvanas,” Lireesa warned. 

“No, no it’s fine,” Alleria sighed. “It’s been over a month and Turalyon hasn’t made any effort with Arator. We all know I’ll never see a cent in child support but he hasn’t so much as called to speak to his son or send a card. So this morning when he didn’t get a phone call from his dad on Christmas of all days, he was pretty bummed. And it just all turned into this big thing. I was upset, he was upset. He’s a good kid and he loves his dad despite the divorce and him practically forgetting his son ever since. I don’t know. I feel like he blames me.”

“Don’t be silly,” Vereesa reassured her. “He’s just a kid and he’s probably just struggling to wrap his head around it. It’s going to be tough for him.”

“Hopefully I’m not overstepping,” Jaina, spoke up then. “But speaking from experience I think so long as you continue to be there for him and be a mother to him he’ll be okay. I don’t know the situation but I think if he’s got one parent that he knows loves him he’ll be able to cope as he gets older. He’s not going to truly understand at this age.”

“Oh, were your parents divorced also?” Alleria asked curiously, ears pricking upward with genuine interest.

“Erm, no. They’re still together. We just have a, ah, weird family dynamic?” 

“You don’t speak to them, do you?” Alleria filled in the blanks easily. Jaina could only shake her head in response as she felt Sylvanas squeeze her hand comfortingly. “That’s okay. We’re your family now,” she shrugged. “Fuck ‘em.”

“Yeah,” Jaina snorted in response to the blunt statement but smiled nonetheless. “Thanks though. I like this family.”

“I’m glad. You’re much nicer than Sylvanas. Prettier too,” Alleria grinned just as a pillow smacked the side of her head.

“Girls!” Lireesa chastised them as if they were teenagers. 

Yeah. Jaina definitely loved this family.

***

As the evening drew to a close, dinner was eaten, and the only thing left to do was open gifts. Jaina couldn’t even imagine how the day could get any better. She got to listen to Sylvanas and her sisters banter all day which was so beyond endearing in itself. Jaina got to discuss some of her favorite novels with Arator who had slowly warmed up to her upon discovering that they had the same taste in books. She found that he really was a great kid and hoped that she'd been able to help distract from his father being shitty. The twins were, of course, full of questions for Jaina which she gladly answered for them. Where was she from? What's her favorite animal? Did she still like horses? Did she live with Auntie Syl? What's her favorite color? 

The promise of gifts, in fact, were the only thing that managed to pry the twins from her side.

“Okay!” Lireesa announced with a clap of her hands. “Who's passing out the gifts this year?”

“Make Vereesa do it,” Alleria called from the couch. 

“Alleria, thanks for volunteering,” their mother grinned, tossing her a Santa hat. There was a groan of protest but Alleria rose from her seat and started handing out the gifts with little protest. 

A handful of boxes were placed at Jaina’s feet and she smiled gratefully, not thinking much of it at that moment. 

Until the pile started getting larger. 

And larger. 

And even larger. 

And eventually the amount of gifts intended for her rivaled that of the twins and Arator. Jaina’s heart was beating a mile a minute. She didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry. 

“Sylvanas, I…” 

“You don't have to say anything,” the elf said quietly as she rubbed her arm comfortingly. “We all wanted to do something nice for you. I hope that was okay.” 

“I…” She tried to speak but words just wouldn’t come. Jaina had become so accustomed to her loneliness for the past several years that she’d forgotten what a family was like. It was like she couldn’t process the amount of kindness she was being given all at once and it was overflowing. It was overwhelming. 

“Jaina? Hey,” Sylvanas’ gentle voice snapped her attention back to the present and suddenly Jaina realized that she was hyperventilating. The elf pulled her in close and whispered, “Do you need a few minutes? Do you want to leave the room? You can. We understand that this is a lot.”

All she could do was nod and she was instantly helped up and led out of the room and up the stairs by Sylvanas, her arm locked firmly around Jaina’s waist. She heard Sylvanas say something but she couldn’t make out what it was past the sound of blood rushing in her ears. They ended up in the bedroom and as Sylvanas gently led Jaina to the bed, she felt like she could suddenly breathe again in the quiet of the room. 

“I’m so sorry,” Jaina began immediately, the guilt rushing to her all at one. Something amazing had been done for her and she felt like she was being so ungrateful to this new found family. She ran her fingers through her hair nervously as she wondered what they must think of her now. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“I’m the one that should be sorry. I should have spoken to you first,” Sylvanas spoke softly, pulling Jaina into a tight hug. “We didn’t mean to overwhelm you like this.”

“No, I’m so endlessly thankful for you and for your family. Please don’t be sorry. This just...it will take some getting used to, I think.” 

“Sylvanas?” A gentle voice came from just outside the door and both women looked up immediately toward the closed door. 

“Yeah, Mom?” 

“Okay if I come in?”

Sylvanas pulled away from Jaina and stood to open the door. A worried Lireesa stepped through and offered Jaina a reassuring smile before turning to her daughter. 

“Do you mind if I speak to your lovely Jaina alone?” 

Sylvanas looked over to Jaina, silently asking if she was okay, and received a small smile in response. It was okay. It was more than okay.

“I’ll be downstairs then. I can’t very well miss Vereesa’s face as she internally calculates how she’s going to get the boys’ gifts home.” The mischievous grin was back and with that, Sylvanas let herself out of the bedroom. Lireesa was shaking her head as she sat down beside Jaina. 

“These girls are the reason I’ve gone grey,” she sighed before making eye contact with Jaina. “Are you doing all right, Jaina? We were worried we may have scared you off a bit.”

“I’m okay, Miss Windrunner. I am beyond appreciative of all of you. It was just unexpected,” Jaina said, hoping her nerves weren’t showing much. Lireesa was quiet for a moment as if choosing her next words carefully. 

“I’m not sure how much Sylvanas has shared with you so far,” she began. “I imagine a lot at this point. But I’m sure you know that despite the tough exterior she likes to give off she’s a gentle soul.” She paused long enough for Jaina to nod before continuing. “All of my daughters are very good at keeping in touch. Well, Alleria lives with me but you know what I mean. I get phone calls regularly. I especially get them from Sylvanas quite often. Usually she’s asking about me or her nephews. Or anyone that is not herself, really. That’s just how it’s been since she lost Alayna.

“So imagine my surprise when she calls me up one morning to tell me about this wonderful woman she met. I knew about you, of course, because her sisters just can’t keep a secret. Especially when it has to do with one another. But it was different hearing it from her. She cares for you so deeply and I knew that from the first time she mentioned you.” 

“I don’t know what to say,” Jaina smiled, the heat already creeping onto her cheeks. “I care for her too. So much. I want you to know that.”

“I’m glad,” Lireesa said with a wide smile. “But I didn’t come up here just to talk about how wonderful my daughter is, as much as it’s a favorite subject of mine,” she joked. 

“Oh?”

“She told me about why you had come here. At least, as much of what you had shared with her. I’m not going to sit here and talk about how hard that must be or how brave you were or whatever I’m sure you’ve already heard or will hear. And it’s not like any of that helps, I know. But I do want you to know that we would happily be your family, if you’ll have us. I know you didn’t have much of a mother, if I may be so bold. But you’re more than welcome to refer to me as Mom and I’d be more than happy to have you as another daughter. If you’re okay with that.”

The tears were immediate. In fact they were running down Jaina’s cheeks before Lireesa even finished her speech. Her heart was absolutely overflowing to the point where she was almost at a loss for words. Almost. 

“I...I would love that. So much. I don’t know what else to say. I’ve never had anything like this,” Jaina spoke through her tears. Her vision was blurred but she could plainly see Lireesa holding both arms open to offer a hug, which Jaina took immediately. 

Lireesa was….warm. That was the best way to describe her in any sense. She held Jaina to her tightly and gently shushed her as she let her cry into her shoulder. Jaina couldn’t even remember the last time her mother had hugged her. She’d spent so much of her life feeling resented by the one person that should have loved her unconditionally, she’d completely forgotten what this felt like. She felt like she was being slowly pieced back together after so many years of loneliness and isolation. 

“You are so wonderful, Jaina. Please do not let anyone tell you different.”

And for the first time in her life, those words felt like the truth.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hi it's been a while. Please know that your WONDERFUL comments on the last chapter really kept me going. Even if I don't respond I promise I read them all over and over any time I need encouragement to continue. You guys are the best. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.

With Christmas Day successfully wrapped up, Jaina could honestly say this was the first holiday season where she was truly happy. The absence of backhanded comments from family members was truly a blessing for her in itself but the unconditional love she felt? Well, that certainly felt like a new experience these days. 

She'd opened each of her gifts that day as if each item were precious. And to her, they really were despite most of them being what most people would describe as ‘mundane.’ Many of the boxes contained clothes which easily tripled the size of her wardrobe when it was all said and done. Some items were little keepsakes, obviously chosen by the kids.

Jaina’s favorite gift of all, though, was easily the delicate bracelet Sylvanas had presented her with at the end of the night. It was a simple silver chain with a small anchor dangling from it. 

“Because I want you to always be reminded that you’re safe here,” Sylvanas had told her as she gently clasped it around her wrist. “And that you’ll always have a home with us.”

There were so many tears shed but every one of them were happy tears. The bracelet became a permanent fixture around her wrist and more often than not, she found herself running her thumb and forefinger across the anchor any time her hands were idle. The comfort the small gift brought her was indescribable. 

In the days following Christmas, Jaina had spent every moment she wasn’t at work with Sylvanas. They’d traded off who was hosting from night to night. Sometimes they were in Sylvanas’ home and sometimes they’d spend the night at Jaina’s apartment. She’d always worried Sylvanas would look down on what little she’d had in the beginning. But it was becoming more and more clear that Sylvanas simply didn’t care what she had or didn’t have. If anything, the little one bedroom apartment only forced them closer together and Jaina certainly was not complaining. 

Despite this, Jaina was still a little sad when she learned she’d be working on the night of New Year’s Eve. Not that it was surprising. She worked in a bar, after all. But she’d still rather stay up until midnight with her girlfriend and whatever insane food Sylvanas came up with for the occasion. 

But money to survive on was good too. 

Definitely.

“Jaina?” Lor called over the din of the New Years bar crowd. “Would you mind tending the bar for a bit? I shouldn’t be long.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Jaina called as she half jogged around the various patrons milling about. She certainly wasn’t a seasoned master behind the bar quite yet but she was getting there, and the tips she was able to pick up when she did bartend were certainly nothing to complain about. 

Jaina fell into barely controlled chaos that was bartending. She was so focused on the work that she didn’t even notice a very familiar elf making her way through the crowd and taking a seat at the very end of the bar as always. Jaina, in fact, never noticed her girlfriend staring at her from the other end of the bar until there’d been a small lull in the amount of folks ordering drinks and she finally had a chance to scan the area in case she missed anyone. The grin was instant as she finally spotted Sylvanas smiling at her as she worked. 

“Hey you,” Jaina said into her ear before pressing a quick kiss to the elf’s cheek. “I thought you had a work thing tonight? Not that I’m not happy to see you.”

“Finished up early,” she shrugged. “And I thought it would be wrong to not be with you for New Years.”

“You would have seen me after work,” Jaina teased, as she placed a glass of ice water in front of her. 

“Call me sentimental,” she chuckled. 

“Well, look who finally decided to show up,” Lor said in amusement as he returned to the bar. He spared a quick glance at the clock. “And with only fifteen minutes to spare.”

Jaina hadn’t even realized it had gotten that late. But as people started to gather around the various televisions there was a new wave of excitement throughout the room.

“I’m nothing if not punctual,” Sylvanas grinned. 

“Jaina, I believe it’s time for your break, yes?” Lor said with one eyebrow raised. 

It wasn’t. She’d already had her allotted breaks today and she was already scheduled to go home shortly after midnight just to help with clean-up before the bar would wind down. But she knew what he was doing and she smiled at him gratefully. He was seriously the best. 

“Uh, yeah. Definitely,” she agreed with only a little hesitance. Lor only wore his usual smirk which was ever present any time Sylvanas was around as he mouthed  _ you're welcome  _ as she walked by. 

Wordlessly, Jaina took Sylvanas’ hand and led her to the break room where they'd at least be able to hear each other speak. The little TV that sat in the corner was already playing the countdown.

“I'm sorry we had to spend our first New Year’s at my work,” Jaina said apologetically as they settled into their chairs. Sylvanas slid hers closer so they could sit beside each other with the TV in view. 

“I think it's sort of fitting,” she smiled, taking Jaina’s hand in hers and setting their clasped hands in her lap. The anchor on Jaina’s bracelet shone brightly even in the dim light of the break room and Sylvanas looked at it thoughtfully before making eye contact with Jaina again. “There have been a lot of new beginnings here. A bar of all places to be sure, but still,” she chuckled. 

“Careful. Lor’themar might hear you and he'll become even more insufferable than he already is,” Jaina said, only half jokingly. “But you're right. Maybe this is fitting.” 

“Do you have any resolutions for this year?” Sylvanas asked curiously. 

“Hmm. I hadn't really thought about it. I suppose ten minutes before midnight is as good a time as any to make one,” she laughed before pondering quietly to herself for a moment. “I think I'd like to try to be better about feeling like I deserve all this. You, especially. I want to stop getting stuck in my own head and leave behind all the horrible shit I had to live with before. I know it won't happen overnight but…. I just want to be  _ better. _ Hopefully that makes sense,” she trailed off for a moment before looking back up at the elf beside her. “What about you?”

“I-” There was a moment's hesitation before Sylvanas spoke again. “First of all I think that's a wonderful resolution and I won't stop trying to remind you of how  _ good  _ you are. You are so good, Jaina.

“But I sort of have a confession to make?” Sylvanas continued, almost sheepish. Her gaze fell to their hands again and she rubbed her thumb over Jaina’s hand as she continued. “I think I've been holding back and it's not been fair to you,” she confessed. 

“What do you mean?” Jaina asked gently, ducking her head so that she could catch Sylvanas' gaze with hers. 

“Remember when I told you I haven't dated since Alayna?”

“I remember.”

“She's been gone for so long. But when we first started dating I still felt almost a sense of...betrayal. It was hard. And I didn't really realize until now how that may have been affecting you. Ugh, this is so pathetic,” she sighed. 

The seemingly indomitable confidence that Sylvanas normally exuded was gone. And instead she just looked, well, deflated. Unsure. Jaina hated seeing it.

“You are  _ not  _ pathetic,” Jaina said firmly, tightening her hold on Sylvanas’ hand. “You went through something unthinkable. I would never expect that you just magically aren't carrying the weight of that still. I love you and us needing to take things slower than may be considered “normal” is not going to change that in the slightest. I'm being so serious right now, Sylvanas.”

“What did you say?” Sylvanas asked suddenly, a smile slowly forming in her lips.

“What? I said I was serious. I-”

“You said you love me,” she said, almost smug. 

The sound of the TV fell away as Jaina stiffened, her mouth opening and closing with no sound until she finally shook her head. 

“I suppose I did say that,” she started slowly. “I'm not sorry though. It's true.”

“You love me,” Sylvanas said again, this time with the biggest grin.

“Yes, yes. I love you,” Jaina sighed in exasperation, pulling Sylvanas toward her and into a hug. “Glad that's the one thing you absorbed from my excellent speech.”

“I love you too, you know,” Sylvanas said against her chest as the countdown continued. Only five minutes left until midnight. “That's kind of what I wanted to get at. I'm trying to leave the past behind. Not forget it. But I want to be able to love you the way you deserve to be loved. That's what I want for next year. And all the years after that.” 

Sylvanas finished with a big sigh and Jaina only tightened her hold as they held onto each other. The sounds of the crowd just on the other side of the wall were just barely at a tolerable volume by now. It was nearly time. 

“Thank you for telling me,” Jaina said quietly before pressing a single kiss to the top of Sylvanas’ head. If Sylvanas could pur she had no doubt she would be right now. 

“You're not mad at me?” Sylvanas asked hesitantly. 

“Why would I be mad at you?” Jaina questioned. “You were married and I know you loved her. I'm not here to take her place. I would never ask you to just forget her.”

There was silence for a few moments before Sylvanas’ quiet voice somehow broke through the excited chattering and occasional cheering from the other side of the wall. 

“What planet are you even from?” Her voice broke slightly as she said the last word. Jaina knew that the elf was trying to lighten the mood to keep the inevitable tears at bay.

“Georgia,” Jaina scoffed. “I think it’s fair to call it another planet. Might as well be,” she chuckled, squeezing Sylvanas just a little tighter. 

Sylvanas pulled away to wipe an errant tear that managed to escape just as the countdown hit ten seconds. The noise on the other side of the wall hit a deafening volume now and for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, Jaina was smiling as the numbers dwindled. 

_ 3… _

_ 2… _

_ 1… _

As the deafening chorus of ‘Happy New Years’ echoed throughout the building, everything else seemed to fall away as the two women shared their first kiss of the new year. Sylvanas felt warm and soft. It was an almost indescribable feeling for Jaina to feel so incredibly loved and she hoped that Sylvanas shared the same sentiments. She had no idea how she could come to absolutely adore someone so much in what seemed like such a short amount of time, but that’s what was happening. 

“I love you,” Jaina whispered against her lips. She opened her eyes a moment later to see Sylvanas already staring at her as their foreheads rested against one another, both of them seemingly unwilling to pull away quite yet. 

“I love you too,” Sylvanas replied, her voice rough with pure emotion. “Don’t ever doubt that.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

  
  


******

  
  


The drive home was made in comfortable silence later that night. Well, as silent as it could be in a Lamborghini. But Sylvanas was content in taking her time getting home as she held Jaina’s hand between the two seats, only letting go when she needed her second hand to maneuver safely through the waning holiday traffic. 

“Your place or mine?” Sylvanas asked as they made it through the worst of the crowded streets. 

“Yours. Your bed is much comfier than mine,” Jaina laughed, though it was the truth. 

“Of course,” Sylvanas chuckled. “Though, I can’t stop myself from asking anymore. How would you feel about breaking your lease?” Sylvanas spared half a second to glance away from the road to make eye contact with Jaina. 

“Wait what?” Did she hear that correctly? 

“That was my very charming way of asking you to move in with me. Probably a two out of ten on the romance scale but I’d like to think it’s a ten out of ten on a straight to the point scale.”

“I...honestly I would love to. But breaking my lease right now would cost a fortune and I just don’t have it.”

“Don’t worry about that. I can take care of it.”

“Sylvanas…”

“Jaina,” she shot back teasingly. 

“That’s too much. I can’t accept that,” Jaina insisted. 

“Well, I own my house so it wouldn’t exactly be the smartest financial decision for me to live with you. So that’s out,” Sylvanas went on casually, as if she were simply talking about the weather. “If you think this is too soon I’d understand, of course. But if you are comfortable and you’d like us to live together I see no reason why we can’t make that happen. Just a reminder that you can say no. I’ll just ask again down the road,” she grinned. 

“You’re ridiculous,” Jaina couldn’t help but laugh as she squeezed Sylvanas’ hands in the darkness of the vehicle. “I still think it’s too much. But I would love nothing more than to be with you every day.”

“If it makes you feel any better I could make you pay me back. One kiss per Pound? I think that’s the proper conversion rate. Might take a while to pay back though.”

“You’re such a dork. Fine. But I’m taking you out to dinner this week in exchange,” she huffed in mock exasperation. 

“Deal.”

  
  
  


*******

  
  
  


“Are you hungry?” Sylvanas asked as they finally walked through the front door. “I could make something for you real quick.”

“Yeah, but not for food,” Jaina quipped.

“Wh-” Sylvanas was taken by surprise as she found herself spun around and pushed against the door she had just locked. 

“Is this okay?” Jaina asked before she went any further. “I know we spoke about it a little but I still want to make sure we’re both ready.” Sylvanas stopped her with a hard kiss before Jaina could overthink any further. 

“This is more than okay. Please don’t stop,” Sylvanas whispered, her voice almost thick with arousal. 

Jaina was more than happy to oblige. She felt clumsy, and obviously out of practice but Sylvanas made her feel comfortable and safe. She knew their first time together didn’t demand perfection. 

Everything was a blur of soft touches and so many kisses as they slowly made their way upstairs. At some point, Sylvanas switched it up and pushed Jaina down onto the bed. She straddled her hips and bent down so she could meet her gaze, her hands caressing both cheeks. Jaina stared unwaveringly into grey blue eyes that seemed to see straight down into her soul. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Sylvanas said, finally breaking the silence. She moved one hand up into Jaina’s hair and ran her fingers through the pale strands. 

“How is this real?” Jaina breathed. It was a rhetorical question but she was in awe anyway. What had she done to deserve this? 

Sylvanas pressed one more kiss just behind her ear and got to work peeling off the clothing that was oh so in the way at the moment. Jaina helped the best she could, but the anticipation of what was to come had her almost trembling in Sylvanas’ hold. 

When there was finally nothing between them, and Jaina felt nothing but Sylvanas’ warm skin against hers, the dam finally broke. The tears poured uninhibited and she couldn’t stop the sob that broke through. Sylvanas tensed above her and pulled back, nothing but love and concern in her expression, which only made it worse. 

“What’s wrong? We can stop if you changed your mind. I’d be just as happy to just watch a movie with you and go to sleep,” Sylvanas frowned slightly as she went back to stroking Jaina’s hair and wiping the tears away with her thumb. 

“No,” Jaina shook her head and took a deep, shuddering breath. “There’s nothing wrong. I think I’m just a little emotional,” she laughed a little through her tears and leaned up to kiss the elf’s cheek. “I don’t want to stop. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m crying.”

“Okay,” Sylvanas smiled. Her tears were kissed away before Sylvanas steadily worked her lips down toward her neck. The only sounds in the room after that were heavy breathing and quiet ‘ _ I love you’s’  _ whispered in between touches. 

Jaina’s heart soared that night. Everything just felt….right. She’d never felt anything that could ever compare to making love with Sylvanas. It was like all her broken pieces were finally falling back into place and Sylvanas was the one to find them all and piece them back together as if she’d never been broken in the first place. 

*****

Jaina awoke hours later, still wrapped up in Sylvanas’ arms and still feeling the afterglow of their evening together. She wanted nothing more than to stay here forever, warm and incredibly safe, but her body was demanding water  _ immediately. _ Sylvanas’ soft snores suggested she’d be in a deep sleep for a while yet, and so she carefully unwrapped herself from the elf’s hold and slowly rolled out of bed. She picked up the first articles of clothing she could find which ended up being a pair of plaid pajama pants she’d likely discarded the day before and a sweatshirt that likely belonged to Sylvanas. 

As quietly as she could, Jaina padded down the stairs to the kitchen. She flicked the lights on and reached up into the cabinet for a glass, careful not to make too much noise as she did so. She was so focused on downing her glass of water  _ immediately _ she was three quarters of the way through her drink when she realized her phone was ringing from the living room. She must have left it in her coat pocket last night. Which evidently was a good thing since that annoying ass ringing would definitely have woken Sylvanas. 

She set down her glass and made her way to the front door where her jacket still lay discarded on the floor and promptly forgotten. The call was missed but it immediately started ringing again.

_ “For fuck, sake I’m coming,”  _ Jaina whispered to nothing as she finally got a hold of her phone. She nearly dropped it again when she saw the number on the screen. Georgia area code. Probably from home.  _ Fuck.  _

She watched it ring only for the person on the other end to immediately call back again. She should just turn off her phone. Block the number. Forget this was happening. 

She didn’t though. 

“Who is this?” Jaina spoke into the phone, not bothering with any pleasantries. 

“Jaina?” The voice on the other end spoke. The shock in the voice was obvious. But Jaina wasn’t going to dwell on that right now. 

“What do you want, mother?” She stood and paced the living room.  _ Why would you answer the phone? What the fuck are you thinking? _ “Spit it out. This conversation is going to cost me a fortune,” Jaina practically growled. 

“Jaina, please just listen to me. I’ve been trying to find you for  _ months _ ,” her mother said, sounding almost desperate. Jaina hardly believed the act.

“Why? What could you possibly want from me now? You wanted nothing more than to have me out of your life. I made that happen for you. Why can’t you just leave me alone?” Her voice cracked at the word ‘alone’ and she silently cursed herself for showing even a hint of weakness.

“I don’t want anything from you,” Katherine said evenly. “I want to apologize.”

Jaina couldn’t help it. The laughter just broke through and she sounded almost hysterical in the dark living room. 

“Apologize for  _ what _ ?” she said incredulously. “No, please, I’d love to hear exactly what you’re apologizing for. I’ve been waiting half my life for this.”

There was a deep sigh heard over the line and Jaina couldn’t help but enjoy this a little. Not once had she ever felt like she could stand on the same ground as her mother. The woman had always made her feel so small and insignificant. It was nice to be on the receiving end of the groveling for once. 

“Everything,” she heard over the line, her mother’s voice sounding strangely small. “Every single shit thing I’ve ever done or said to you. I want to apologize for it all.”

“And you think I should just accept your shitty catch-all apology? Just like that? Say it’s all okay and we’d be some happy family all of a sudden? Is this a joke?” Jaina’s heart clenched as she spoke. She suddenly felt light headed and she knew she was going to have a panic attack if she didn’t get a handle on herself. 

“No, Jaina, please. I don’t expect you to accept anything. The things I did to you are unforgivable. I know that now. I-”

“Who put you up to this?” Jaina cut her off. “Was it Anduin? God knows he’s probably the only one that cared that I left.”

“No one put me up to this,” Katherine sighed. “Your father and I have come to a lot of realizations since Derek-”

“Stop. Don’t you dare bring Derek up now. My twin is fucking gone and you did everything in your power to ensure I’d never get a proper good-bye. Fuck’s sake, you told me yourself you wished it was  _ me  _ out there. How could you ever think I could forgive you for that?”

“Jaina?” There was a whisper at the bottom of the stairs and Jaina spun around to see Sylvanas standing in the dim light wearing just an oversized t-shirt and staring at her with concern. She took a deep breath, realizing how loud she must have gotten in the course of this conversation. She kept her eyes on the elf as her mother’s voice came through once again. She should have just hung up.

“I don’t want forgiveness. I just… I just want to start over and build a relationship with my daughter. I don’t want to fight anymore.” Katherine sounded tired as she finished her pleas. 

“I have to go,” Jaina said firmly, just wanting this all to end. 

“Wait! Please just think about it. Your father and I would love to see you even if it’s just for a few days. Please consider coming home just for a little while. I’m trying.” 

“I’m not making any promises. Don’t call me again.” And at that Jaina ended the call. That’s when the dam broke and suddenly Jaina found herself pulled into a warm embrace. Oh, did she cry. Sylvanas was a literal saint as she held the sobbing woman tightly to her as if she were literally trying to hold her together. 

“It’s okay, just let it out,” she said soothingly as tears soaked her neck and the front of her shirt. “You are so wonderful and amazing. I’m so proud of you.”

“How much did you hear?” Jaina sniffled as she kept her face tucked securely into Sylvanas’ neck. 

“I heard enough,” Sylvanas said, gentle as ever. “You were amazing standing up to her like that. I hope you know that.”

“It did feel a little liberating,” Jaina smiled a little through her tears. “She said she wanted to apologize for ‘everything.’ I’ve been waiting so long for this, and now I don’t know if I even believe her. I definitely don’t want to forgive her.”

“And you’re not obligated to,” Sylvanas said firmly. “You take as long as you need to but if you never forgive her or never speak to her after this, well it’s her loss and the only person at fault is her. She should have known what an amazing daughter she had from the start. It’s her loss.”

“How do you always know what to say?” Jaina asked with a sigh, finally pulling away slightly to look up at the elf’s face. The sun was starting to come up and just enough light was coming through so that she could see Sylvanas’ face clearly. She could only imagine how she must look right now. 

“I don’t. I just tell the truth,” she grinned, one of her fangs poking through in the process. God, she was so fucking cute. 

“Thank you. I think I’d like to consider going back for a visit. I think I could forgive my dad. He wasn’t nearly as awful to me. But it’s going to take a lot of time, I think. Going back there… I don’t know. Maybe I’ll never be ready.”

“Whatever you decide to do, I’ll be right here.”

“Thank you,” Jaina sighed deeply before a yawn creeped its way in. “For now I think I’d like to decide to go back to bed.”

“Then I’ll follow right behind you,” Sylvanas smiled. “Let’s get a few more hours and I’ll make us something good for breakfast. Sound good?”

“Sounds perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you're reading this. Thank you. Seriously.


End file.
